Making Our Mark
by Amelie Reina
Summary: Danica begins her freshman year at Monsters University, determined to not let the burden of upholding the Worthington name stop her from making her mark. Little did she know that the journey would involve capturing the attention of a monster from the campus' top fraternity and setting off a chain of events during which they both learn what it means to be their best selves.
1. Beginnings

Making Our Mark

Summary: Danica begins her freshman year at Monsters University, determined to not let the burden of upholding the Worthington name stop her from making her mark. Little did she know that the journey would involve capturing the attention of a monster from the campus' top fraternity and setting off a chain of events during which they both learn what it means to be their best selves.

Author's Note: This story takes place concurrently with the events of _Monsters University_.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Monster's University_ , only the lovely Danica.

Chapter 1: Beginnings

* * *

Danica.

That was all I would say whenever a monster asked me what my name was.

I had a last name, but they didn't need to know what it was. I didn't want them to know what it was if I could help it.

That's not to say that I'm not proud of where I come from. In fact, I'm proud of my family; it has five generations of Scarers. My father is one of the top Scarers at Monsters Incorporated and my mother is an award-winning teacher. My older brother, as obnoxious as he can be at times, is quite the Scarer himself and studying to become one. One could say our family has quite the reputation for being so successful in what we do.

That reputation is precisely why I don't go around flaunting my family name. The minute other monsters learn about it, they automatically make assumptions, many of which are untrue and completely unflattering. Unfortunately, my brother flaunting the name to get the attention he wants certainly doesn't help matters and the last thing that I want is for monsters to find out my family name and then assume I'm just like my brother. While I like to think that my brother and I share some good qualities (we value the importance of hard work, for example), he does possess some unfavorable qualities that I would rather not be thought to have as well.

Fortunately, the friendly monster at the front desk of my residence building did not make any remarks about my family name, let alone mention it out loud, when he handed me my room key. I was able to pull away from the line of freshmen and head around the corner for the elevator without any of them giving me a second look. I didn't expect them to given that I take more after my mother while my brother takes more after our father. Aside from the lavender shade found in my dark ombre waves and the small mahogany horns protruding from the top of my head, I doubted that anyone would believe my brother and me to be siblings.

After arriving at the fifth floor of the building, I exited the elevator and headed down the hallway to the only door that had large cardboard boxes sitting around it. I was pleased that my brother was able to put his upper body strength to good use and transfer my packed belongings from my car to my dorm while I went to register and get my student card. Although he wasn't willing to at first, the promise of a free dinner easily got him to reconsider.

 _Hard work pays off_ , I thought to myself as I unlocked the door and proceeded to drag the boxes into the room that only had bare furniture. Having performed well academically throughout high school (and elementary school if anyone was nosy enough to check my records), I was given first preference regarding the style of the dorm in which I wanted to live. I decided that the privacy of my own dorm was much better than living with my brother. He offered me a room in his frat house, but considering he threw parties more often than he changed clothes, I politely declined.

I was oblivious to the time as I decorated the room to my liking. After stretching a clean bedsheet over the mattress on my bed, I draped a royal blue comfortable over it and rested four plump white pillows against the headboard. On the nightstand was where I placed three photo frames: one of me, one of my family, and one of me with my high school friends. I arranged my selection of novels and textbooks, including those that I just purchased from the campus bookstore for my courses, alphabetically on the tall mahogany bookshelf against one of the walls. Against the adjacent wall was a matching desk on which I plugged in a curvy lamp and added a rhinestone cup of pencils and pens. I attached a dry-erase calendar to the wall just above my bed. Although there was initially a giant empty space in the middle of the room, unrolling a kaleidoscopic rug filled that area up well. I hung up my various garments in the closet provided.

As soon as the boxes were empty, I began slicing the bottoms open with my claws, so I could flatten them. I had to commend my brother for working so diligently to bring my things over, especially given how much I packed. Although he was quite a pain in the tail at times, he was there whenever I needed him.

 _Speaking of the giant puffball_ , I thought with a glance at my wristwatch, which told me that it was almost six in the afternoon, the time that my brother and I agreed to leave for dinner.

Turning to the full-body mirror that I have hung on the back of the door, I took a quick look at my reflection. Aside from the purple eyes and tan-coloured skin staring back at me, I noted how well my purple knee-high maxi dress and black leather jacket seemed to reflect the shades of my hair. My two long legs resembled those of a horse and feet of a basilisk lizard. Both my legs and feet were black from the knees down, giving one the impression that I always wore boots, which was nice as it saved me money on any kind of legwear.

Deciding that I looked decent enough, I grabbed my purse hanging on a nearby hook and left, closing the door behind me. I took a quick elevator ride to the lobby of my dorm building and exited the front door. I paused the moment the cool air, as well as realization, hit me. Apparently, I was so occupied with getting registered and unpacking that I didn't bother to take a campus tour; thus, I had no idea how to get to Frat Row where my brother said his fraternity's house was.

Just then, a few monsters passed by, chuckling about whatever they were discussing and I noticed the white symbols printed on their sky-blue jackets: an omega sign and the letter H. I decided to follow them, hoping that they were en route to Frat Row. From there, I figured finding my brother's fraternity house would be easier.

Keeping a good distance from them, I followed them away from the residence buildings and around what looked like an amphitheater. As I made it around to the other side, I immediately spotted a long stretch of road ahead lit by lights that travelled in between two rows of houses. The closer I got to it, the more monsters I saw, including some sporting different varsity jackets with various Greek lettering on them. I smiled, knowing that I was in the right place.

Upon arriving at Frat Row, the group of monsters that I had followed had moved off to the side to greet a trio of what looked like sorority sisters. I wouldn't be surprised if the sisters were related biologically considering that they looked pretty much the same except from the colours of their skin, fur skirts, and perfectly-curled locks.

As I kept walking along the road, I passed two monsters wearing bright yellow jackets with red detailing. One of the two, the giant red one, had the nerve to whistle at me as I passed, so I hissed back menacingly in response.

"Jerks," I muttered under my breath. If it was one thing that I couldn't stand, it was monsters who thought I was simply in school as eye candy rather than because I had brains, which is something that I sensed those fraternity brothers in yellow lacked.

As the end of Frat Row came into view, so did a colossal red and white house complete with a long driveway, a couple of balconies, a smoking chimney, and a string of lights hanging along the front. I shook my head at how obnoxiously large it was; if it were not for the giant Rs and the equally as large omega symbol plastered on the front just above the front doors, I would think that I was staring at the mansion that my brother and I had grown up in.

I climbed up the steps and crossed the porch to the front doors. Curling my hand into a fist, I knocked a few times and waited patiently for the door to open.

When the door did open a few moments later, a crab-like monster in a cap stood before me, eyeing me skeptically. "Yeah?"

"Hi, I'm here to see Johnny," I told him. "We have dinner plans."

The crab nodded, but I could clearly see the skepticism written across his face. "Uh huh, a likely story."

I rolled my eyes. "More like the truth. Is he here or not?"

"He is," said the monster with narrowed eyes, "but last time I checked, he doesn't have a girlfriend, so try again."

I shuddered in disgust. "Like I would ever date Johnny."

The crab scoffed. "Yeah right. _Every_ girl wants to date Johnny."

"Not me," I assured him, jabbing two thumbs towards myself, "so I suggest you let me in because I can only imagine what he would do to you if he found out that one of his frat brothers left me standing on the porch all night."

The crab huffed and scuttled back, holding the door open wide.

I stepped inside and gazed around at the spacious interior of the house, complete with a full leather living room set, an intricate glass coffee table, a television that gave new meaning to the term 'wide screen', a roaring fireplace (no pun intended), and a long RΩR banner draped above it. A few speakers and a set of strobe lights sat in a corner.

An open ping pong table nearby caught my attention, but not because it took up so much room. Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I shouted, "Jonathan Worthington the Third!"

Heavy footsteps followed the scream and Johnny's head popped up at the top of the staircase. He knew that he was in deep trouble whenever someone went full name on him and, most of the time, I would be the one doing it. "Someone call for me?"

"Johnny, how many times have I told you not to take my books without asking?" I questioned, strolling over to grab the book supporting one of the table's legs.

Johnny shrugged. "Meh, I've lost count to be honest."

I shook my head; Johnny always had a tendency to 'borrow' my books to use for non-academic purposes and 'forget' to return them. Pointing my book at him, I snarled, "Well, next time you 'lose count', you will be losing an eye. Are we clear?"

"You know," said Johnny, descending the staircase, "you should be a little nicer to me, sis, since I _did_ help you move your stuff in today."

I rolled her eyes for the second time since arriving. "I'm taking you to dinner, isn't that thank you enough?"

"What?" the crab-like monster piped up with a surprised look at Johnny. "She's your sister?"

"What gave it away, the horns or the attitude?" Johnny asked sarcastically. He waved a hand by means of introduction. "Chet, this is Danica."

"I'd say it's nice to meet you," I said to Chet, "but you did have a mind to leave me on the porch all night, so…hey."

"Is that so?" Johnny murmured, glaring intensely at Chet.

"Hey, hey," Chet protested, scuttling away from Johnny in fear, "I didn't know she was your sister!"

"Well, now you know, so next time she shows up, let her in," said Johnny, walking menacingly up to Chet, "or I will throw you out, are we clear?"

Chet squeaked affirmatively as Johnny whacked his cap off of his head.

I shook my head turned to Johnny expectantly. "Ready to go?"

Johnny grinned. "Do I get to pick the place?"

"Only if you're driving," I answered with a smirk.

"No worries, the place I want to go to is a little hole in the wall not too far off campus," Johnny explained, gesturing to the door. "We can walk there."

I nodded, stepping back outside with Johnny right behind me, leaving the little grumbling crab to collect his hat in peace.

* * *

This little hole in the wall, I soon learned, was called The Bronze Claw. Its wooden furniture, checkered tablecloths, and cheery music promoted a casual atmosphere. There was a good number of monsters seated, a few with fraternity jackets, which told me that this place must be very popular with the college community.

Once we arrived, a hostess kindly seated us in a booth and presented us with menus. Johnny thanked her, winking at her as he sat down, causing her to giggle. I didn't miss how her voice increased an octave when she told that our waitress would be along shortly and skipped off rather giddily.

"Do you flirt with everything that has a pulse?" I asked with a look of disdain.

"Not everything," Johnny answered as he picked up his menu, "I don't flirt with you."

"I sure hope you don't," I said, taking my own menu in my hands, "because that would be awkward as hell."

A blue slug-like monster slid up to our table, smiling brightly. "Good evening and welcome to the Bronze Claw! May I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'll have a Howliken," said Johnny, smiling charmingly at the waitress.

I rolled my eyes at Johnny's actions before saying, "I'll have a slimonade please."

"Certainly!" the waitress chirped, her cheeks tinged pink. "I'll be right back!"

Once the waitress slid off, Johnny turned to me and asked, "Did you get everything moved in okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks for bringing my stuff over from the car."

Johnny shrugged. "It meant getting a free meal, so who am I to say no?"

"I can feel the love," I remarked sarcastically as I went back to reading my menu.

I heard Johnny chuckle. "Are you excited about MU?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't say excited, but I'm happy to be here and to be starting classes tomorrow."

"I still can't believe you decided to double major," said Johnny. "No one in their right mind does that."

I glared up at him from behind my menu. "I assure you, dearest brother, I'm quite sane."

"I'm surprised Scaring isn't one of them," Johnny remarked, "because you know our family has generations of Scarers. You'd think Dad would have given you hell for deciding not to be one."

"He already has you following in his footsteps and upholding the family name," I pointed out, putting down my menu, "so I guess he doesn't mind what I do as long as I don't bring shame to the family."

"Well, you want to become a teacher like Mom," said Johnny, "so you'd still be upholding our family name by doing that."

I sighed. "I don't really care about living up to our family name, you know that. I'm not like you, Johnny, I don't go around flaunting it."

"Why not?" Johnny asked with a puzzled expression. "You know how much attention that gets you?"

"Trust me, I know exactly how much attention it gets me," I told him, "and with that attention comes expectations to be like the Worthingtons before us. I don't care about living up to anyone's expectations except my own. I'd rather do my thing without the extra pressure of being a Worthington."

Johnny nodded. "That hard, huh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be a Worthington," I explained, "but not gonna lie, it can be a burden."

"Well, at least you're not the third person in our family to have the same name," Johnny reminded me, "so you can make your own mark as Danica Worthington the First, which I have no doubt you will do."

I smiled. "Yeah?"

"Sis, you're incredibly brilliant and tough as claws," said Johnny, smiling genuinely. "I almost feel sorry for anyone who tries to get in your way."

"Damn right," I agreed with a laugh. "I know that I can be successful and it will be because of hard work, not because of what my last name is."

Johnny grinned. "Don't coop yourself indoors all the time though. Get out, join a club, maybe come to a frat party or two."

I paused to consider the suggestions. "I might join a club, yeah, but not so sure about those frat parties, especially if you're hosting."

"Aw, come on, RΩR parties are to die for!" Johnny exclaimed proudly.

I nodded knowingly. "That would explain your story of some of your guests ending up in the hospital last year a bit better then."

"Hey, not my fault Jaws Theta Chi decided to spike the punch," Johnny protested with his hands up in mock surrender.

"Yeah, well, I would like to get through at least my first semester without having to have my stomach pumped, thank you," I said.

Johnny chuckled. "Look, one of the frats or sororities always throws a party for Rush Week. Other freshmen will probably be coming, so you can meet other monsters. Plus, I'll be there if you need anything."

I smiled. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Johnny nodded with a satisfied grin as our overly cheery waitress returned with our drinks.

* * *

After a delicious dinner (a double bacon cheeseburger with fries for Johnny and deep fried fish tacos with rice for me), I paid the bill and we left. On the way out, Johnny flashed another smile at the hostess, nearly causing her to swoon into a potted plant nearby and me to roll my eyes in exasperation.

As we walked back down the street and through the front gate of Monsters University, Johnny and I chatted about what we were looking most forward to during the fall semester. Naturally, he was excited to start recruiting members for his fraternity in preparation for the Scare Games, which was to be held during the second semester of the school year. His passionate explanation for the event took us all the way from the gate to just past the School of Scream Can Design. I had never seen Johnny scare before, so I was definitely interested in seeing him in his element when the time came.

I, meanwhile, was excited to start my classes in Spanish Studies and Education, which caused Johnny to roll his eyes and question my sanity once more. I reassured him that I could handle the workload that came with double majoring and added that I would also find the time to get involved with campus activities. When he asked if I would be interested in joining a sorority, I simply shrugged. While Greek life seemed to be Johnny's cup of tea, I didn't think it would be mine, but was optimistic at the idea of finding my sense of belonging somewhere on campus.

Johnny took hold of the conversation again as we crossed the troll bridge and passed the School of Aquatics. As we laughed over a funny story that he told about some monster named Omar from Jaws Theta Chi, I relished in the fun that I was having with Johnny. While we often bickered and teased each other mercilessly, as all siblings do, we cared about each other very much. Johnny, being the older one of us, was very protective of me and enjoyed threatening bodily harm to any monster who so much as exhaled in my direction. I, on the other hand, took on the role of Johnny's conscience and was often reminding him to rethink his ideas before doing something stupid. I was thankful to have the close bond that we had.

As we passed the School of Engineering, Johnny and I encountered a bug-like monster walking along the path towards us. He was quite tall, around the same height as Johnny, with four pink orbs for eyes, four arms with prickly claws, and two long legs. The red and gold cardigan with familiar Greek lettering that he had buttoned over his overlapping armour plating told me that Johnny knew him.

"Hey, amigo, where have you been all day?" Johnny hollered, causing the insect to shift his attention forward and grin.

"Hola, just got back not too long ago from a family vaca," the monster answered as he approached us. "Went to the RΩR house, but Chet told me you were out with a lovely señorita."

Johnny scoffed. "Nah, I was out with my sister."

"Ouch, Johnny, and here I thought you loved me," I said sarcastically, resting my hands on my hips.

"Sometimes I do," Johnny admitted, grinning at me. "Other times, I think you're a pain in the tail."

"The feeling's mutual," I quipped with a smirk.

Johnny chuckled and turned to the bug who appeared to be amused by our banter. "Javier, this is my sister, Danica. She's a freshman here."

"A pleasure," I said, holding my hand out politely. I knew from my talks with Johnny and with our dad that Roar Omega Roar was the most prestigious fraternity on campus and for me to meet a member of it was an honour.

"It can be if that's what you want, chica," Javier quipped with a devilish grin as he reached for my hand.

Recoiling my hand immediately, I glared at the bug whose eyes were shamelessly running up and down my body. "I'm nobody's chica."

Javier's grin turned into a smirk. "So what are you?"

"Uninterested," I shot back before turning back to Johnny and saying, "Thanks for walking me back, Johnny, but I can find my way back to my dorm from here."

"You sure?" Johnny asked, looking amused at the conversation that just transpired between his frat brother and me.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's just around that building over there."

Johnny nodded, "Okay, well, have an awesome first day. If you need anything, you know where to find me, yeah?"

"Yeah, goodnight," I said with a nodded, purposely ignoring his frat brother's presence. I turned on my heels, my back now facing the duo, and continued along the path, looking forward to crawling into bed and getting a good night's sleep before the first day of classes.

"It was nice meeting you, chica!"

I responded by giving the bug the finger as I walked, eliciting a chuckle from Johnny. As the distance grew between the guys and me, I could not help but smirk to myself. If the upcoming school year was anything like I imagined it would be – kicking ass in my classes, getting involved in campus activities, and shooting down monsters who hit on me – then I was in for one hell of a ride.


	2. Tour

Making Our Mark

Chapter 2: Tour

* * *

" _Happy Monday Monstropolis! It's five after the hour of eight in the morning here in our gorgeous city. You can expect sunshine today and a temperature of – "_

Slamming a hand over my clock radio to shut it off, I dragged my groggy self out of bed. Stifling a yawn, I wrenched open my curtains and was greeted by the sight of the campus being bathed in the soft glow of the sun rising over the horizon. There were only a few monsters crossing the campus this early in the morning and I was about to be one of them. While my first class didn't start until ten in the morning, I liked to take my time getting up in the morning. If I rushed, chances are I would forget something. Plus, I wanted time to wander around campus and get to know the place that I would be calling home for the next four years.

When I walked into my private bathroom, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of my reflection. My ombre locks were sticking up in different directions, making me resemble something between a troll doll and a sheep that needed some serious sheering. I grimaced at the sight of a perfect white line trailing from the edge of my lips of the back of my neck. Oh, please don't tell me that's a piece of lettuce in my teeth from dinner last night.

 _Definitely gives new meaning to the term 'scary'_ , I thought.

Once I got cleaned up, tamed my unruly hair, and made sure that my makeup was on par half an hour later, I exited the bathroom and darted over to my closet. I threw on my dress and jacket and cast a quick glance at my reflection in my full-body mirror. As I did so, my stomach rumbled noisily. Fortunately, another perk of getting up early was being able to grab breakfast and a coffee, which I planned on doing before exploring the campus.

After making sure that the required books for today's classes and my wallet were packed safely inside my messenger bag, I grabbed my keys and left the dorm, locking the door behind me. I took a quick elevator ride down to the lobby of the building, which was empty due to the rest of the building's occupants being either still in bed or out and about. I extended a cheerful greeting to the monster at the front desk before pushing the main doors open and stepping outside, expecting to be greeted by fresh air, chirping birds, and rays of sunshine.

Instead, unfortunately, I was greeted by a, "Good morning, chica."

 _It was_ , I thought as I gave the familiar bug-like monster leaning leisurely against the wall of the building a look of pure disdain. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you actually," Javier answered, pushing himself off of the wall with a grin.

"Well, now that you have, you can run along now," I told him as I started walking away, "I have better things to do than to stand here and let you annoy me for pure amusement."

"As fun as that would be, that's not why I'm here," said Javier, suddenly appearing by my side.

"Shocking," I remarked, my voice oozing sarcasm, "so why _are_ you here?"

"I'm here to show you around campus," Javier explained simply.

I frowned at him in puzzlement. "Why?"

"Johnny mentioned that you didn't get a chance to look around yet," Javier explained.

I turned to arch an eyebrow at him. "He did?"

Javier nodded. "Since he has class, he asked me if I would give you a tour since we're both free this morning."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you willingly agreed to get up early just to do it?"

"It would be loco of me to say no," Javier replied.

I scoffed. "Because no one dares to says no to Johnny?"

"Because spending the morning with a beautiful chica like yourself is too good to pass up," Javier explained with a sly grin.

I rolled my eyes at his attempted flirting. "What else has my big mouth of a brother told you about me?"

"Nothing much other than that," Javier replied with a smirk, "but I'm hoping to learn more during this tour."

"Good luck with that," I retorted, "because there's a lot to me and not a lot of tour time."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" said Javier with a chuckle. "So is that a yes or no?"

I heaved a sigh. "Very well, it would be beneficial for me to know where I'm going." I then gave him a warning glare. "Just don't try anything funny or I'll smack that smirk right off of your face."

"RΩR's honour," Javier promised, holding up a hand to swear his oath, which appeared to contradict the mischievous grin that graced his lips.

* * *

After a quick stop at the cafeteria to grab a breakfast wrap and an iced cappuccino, both which Javier insisted that he pay for ("Consider it part of the tour, chica," he told me), we made our way back outside. Since I had pretty much seen everything from the front gate to the troll bridge and most of what was called East Campus, Javier offered to show me around whatever Upper Quad was. I stayed by his side during the tour, but kept a respectable distance from him to ensure that his hands didn't wander where they shouldn't.

"So this is the School of Business," said Javier, pointing out the brick building that we were passing by. "Self-explanatory."

"Pretty much," I agreed with a quick glance at the building in question.

Pointing at another building ahead, Javier continued, "And that's the School of Door Technology where monsters learn how to build doors to the human world."

"Sounds creative and dangerous," I remarked before taking a sip of my cappuccino.

"Not as dangerous as going through the doors themselves, trust me," Javier told me.

My ears perked up at this comment. "You're a Scaring major?"

Javier nodded proudly. "Just like everyone else in the Rios family."

I simply nodded before doing a double take in surprise. "You're a Rios?"

Javier nodded again, this time with a chuckle. "You're full of questions today, aren't you, chica?"

I glared at him. "You offered to give me a tour of the campus, so you should expect questions."

"Didn't know any would have to do with my family," said Javier with raised eyebrows.

"It just explains a lot, that's all," I told him. I should have guessed that he was a Scaring major given that he was a member of Roar Omega Roar and if he was good enough to be in that fraternity, then it should have been no surprise that he came from a family of successful Scarers.

"Impressed, chica?" Javier asked smugly.

I scoffed at him. "Names don't impress me. You could tell me you're the son of Frank McCay and I'd still think you're a pompous asshole."

"Is that so?" Javier asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

I nodded confidently. "I'm not one to care about names."

"But you're a Worthington," Javier pointed out.

"So?" I responded with another scoff. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what I can do."

"And what can you do?" Javier asked, his voice dripping with intrigue.

Smirking at him, I answered, "More than you can possibly imagine."

Javier grinned. "Well, I would like to see what you can do."

"Well, I can't do much without knowing my way around this place," I pointed out, "so let's continue with the tour, shall we?"

Fortunately, the rest of the campus tour continued on a more positive note without me having to issue any fatal threats to Javier. In fact, I was actually quite amused when we passed the School of Scaring, which propelled him to launch a speech about it in a manner that was more passionate than pompous. I could tell by the way his eyes lit up and the way in which he spoke that he was proud to be part of both the program and of the university. It was a surprise coming from a monster who, according to what Johnny had said over dinner the night before, tends to be more reserved during social interactions.

As we made our way between the School of Science and the Scream Energy School, I started noticing that more monsters had awoken for the day and were out and about. A few female monsters gave flirtatious waves to Javier as they passed us by, causing him to nod his head towards them in acknowledgement. I didn't miss the way they glared menacingly at me, but I simply rolled my eyes in exasperation.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Sci-Tech Parkway. I discarded my empty breakfast wrapper and plastic glass into a nearby trashcan before we crossed the parkway over the river and headed in the direction of a building that was a bit shorter in height compared to the rest on campus, but longer in size.

"Well, here's our final stop: the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities," said Javier as he gestured to the building. Giving me what he probably thought was his most charming smile, he added, "I hope the tour was to your satisfaction."

I nodded. "You certainly know a lot about the campus, I'll give you that. Then again, you could have been lying the whole time and my first class isn't in this building at all."

Javier chuckled. "Guess you're just going to have to trust me then."

"That better not be my first mistake as a freshman," I said, narrowing my eyes at him suspiciously.

"I assure you, it's not," said Javier with a smile that I perceived as genuine and hoped it truly was.

I cleared my throat to break the brief moment of silence that followed after he spoke. "Well, thank you for the tour and for breakfast."

"De nada, chica," Javier replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Have a good first day. If all goes well, come to Frat Row tonight."

"Why?" I asked with an air of caution mixed with curiosity.

"Jaws Theta Chi is throwing a party for Rush Week," Javier explained. "It's a good way to mingle and get to know other monsters."

I nodded, folding my arms in front of me. "And if I don't end up having a good day?"

Javier grinned. "I still hope to see you there."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You're quite the persistent one, aren't you?"

"Nothing good ever came from a lack of trying," Javier answered. He bowed his head courteously and said, "Good day, my lovely señorita."

I watched in wonderment as he turned his back to me and proceeded across the grass in the direction of the troll bridge. As much as I hated to admit it, I admired his determination. It seemed that when he had his heart set on something, he would relentlessly pursue it. It would serve him well if he would just direct it towards his career rather than me.

Shaking my head to rid my mind of any lingering thoughts of my tour guide, I turned and ascended the steps to the main entrance of the school. Upon walking through the doors and climbing up the steps that followed, I immediately was in awe of how the entire building opened up above me like a rustic church. It was a characteristic that I certainly did not pick up on from simply staring at the brick structure from the outside, but it definitely made the environment more pleasant to be in.

After verifying the directional signs posted on a pillar before me, I turned and headed down the corridor to the left, pausing just outside a brown door. Taking a moment to exhale and collect myself, I pulled open the door and entered a lecture-style classroom that seated between fifty to seventy students. About twenty monsters were scattered throughout the seats; some were chatting amicably with each other while others sat in silence, their faces pale as ghosts, probably from some freshmen nerves that have yet to sink in.

Spotting a sky-blue monster with fin-like pigtails of aqua blue sitting by herself in the front row, I made a beeline for the seat to the right of her. I always liked sitting at the front of classrooms because the presence of the teacher forced you to stay awake and pay attention, and you were not distracted by the monsters seated in front of you.

"Excuse me," I said, getting the monster's attention, "is this seat taken?"

The monster turned her head and smiled brightly, her trio of eyes twinkling. "Not at all."

"Thanks," I said with a smile of my own as I sat down and placed my bag on the desk in front of me. "I'm Danica."

"Nice to meet you," said the monster, shaking my hand that I had offered. "I'm Brynn Larson, Spanish Studies and Scaring."

"Pleasure," I replied. "Spanish Studies and Education here."

"Nice," Brynn remarked. "I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only freshman double majoring here."

I laughed. "Same, my brother thinks I'm crazy for doing it."

"Your brother goes here too?" Brynn asked.

I nodded, removing a notebook and my pencil case from my bag. "Yeah, he's a senior majoring in Scaring."

"Wow, well, now I know who to go to for advice," Brynn remarked with a laugh.

I smiled. "He would probably be a great help if he wasn't busy flaunting his looks, partying, and flirting with girls."

Brynn laughed. "He's a player, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," I answered with a grin. "I'm surprised he still manages to do incredibly well in school."

Brynn smiled. "Well, here's hoping that we can do well too."

"I know we can," I said with an air of confidence before giving her a fist pump.

The classroom door opening, signalling the entrance of a maroon-scaled lizard with a briefcase, halted any further conversation between us for the rest of the class.

* * *

The campus cafeteria was bustling with activity around noon as Brynn and I carefully manoeuvered our way around chatting monsters and food displays, balancing our filled lunch trays: mine had a tuna salad sandwich with a bag of chips and a can of Blort while hers had a piece of grilled chicken on quinoa with a bottle of water.

"Is it just me or was that first class easy?" Brynn asked me as we seated ourselves at an empty table.

"Very easy," I agreed. "I have a feeling this course will be a repeat of the Spanish grammar covered in high school."

Brynn nodded, reaching for her bottle of water. "Should be an easy A then."

"Hey, one less course to focus on this semester," I pointed out with a grin.

"And more time for Greek life," Brynn added, "because I was thinking of joining Slugma Slugma Kappa."

"A sorority?" I asked curiously, pulling open my bag of chips.

"Yeah, they're apparently big on fusing fitness with scaring, which is something that I'm interested in," Brynn explained before taking a sip of water.

"Have you reached out to them yet?" I asked before nibbling on a chip.

After swallowing, Brynn nodded. "I talked to Carla Delgado, you know, the president, and she's open to me joining."

"That's wonderful," I remarked with a genuine smile.

Brynn beamed. "One of the frats is throwing a party tonight in celebration of Rush Week and she invited me out to it to get to know the rest of the sisters better."

"Party?" I said with a raised eyebrow. "The one Jaws Theta Chi is hosting?"

"Yeah, that one," Brynn replied with an air of surprise. "Were you invited too?"

I paused. "I guess you could say that."

"By who?" Brynn asked keenly.

"Just some guy from my brother's frat," I answered nonchalantly before popping another chip into my mouth.

"Which frat?" Brynn asked eagerly.

I paused again to swallow. "Roar Omega Roar."

"Your brother is a RΩR?" Brynn exclaimed, startling a few monsters seated at a nearby table.

Hushing her quickly, I hissed, "Geez, not so loud Brynn!"

"From what I heard, that's the best frat on campus!" Brynn gushed, clearly ignoring my warning. "Plus, their president is quite easy on the eyes."

I scoffed as I opened my can of Blort. "Who told you that?"

Blushing furiously, Brynn answered, "Carla pointed him out when he passed us by and I think he's one fine piece of tail."

I grimaced in disgust. "I'd rather not think of him in that way, thank you."

"What are you, blind?" Brynn questioned with a laugh.

I shook my head. "No, I'm his sister."

Brynn dropped her fork in astonishment. "Get out, your brother is Johnny Worthington?"

I nodded, unsure of whether or not to be proud of that fact.

"That means you're a Worthington!" Brynn exclaimed loudly as though I was a celebrity.

I sighed at the unwanted gazes that suddenly shifted our way. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Brynn asked, smiling brightly.

I sighed again. "Basically, I'd rather monsters like me because I'm me, not because I'm a Worthington."

Brynn nodded. "I understand. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it doesn't change anything. I thought you were cool before I learned you're a Worthington and I still think you're pretty cool."

I smiled kindly. "Right back at you, Brynn."

A familiar voice boomed in an enthusiastic greeting, causing Brynn and me to turn our heads in the direction of the double doors. I spotted Johnny, who had entered with the rest of his fraternity, shaking hands with a monster wearing an Omega Howl jacket and an obnoxiously-curly afro. I recognized Chet and Javier, but the dark purple monster and slobbering green monster, both sporting Roar Omega Roar gear, were new to me.

"So," said Brynn, eyeing me with a teasing grin, "who's the RΩR that invited you to the party?"

I discreetly jabbed a claw in the direction of Javier who stood proudly and silently next to Johnny. "The one with the antennae."

Brynn shifted her gaze back to the monster whom I was referring to and wolf-whistled in appreciation. "Damn, you sure know how to attract the hot ones."

I rolled my eyes with a scoff. "I did not attract him. I just happened to run into him twice."

"Twice?" Brynn asked excitedly, her gaze now on me again. "When?"

"Last night after dinner with Johnny," I explained, "and this morning before he offered to give me a tour of the campus."

Casting another glance at Javier, Brynn tilted her head and said, "He seems like the silent type."

"Johnny says he tends to be, but he's not with me," I muttered as I unwrapped my sandwich.

"So he gave you a tour of the campus and then invited you to the party," said Brynn, grinning madly. "He's so into you."

"So not," I retorted. "I'm sure he just invited me to toy around with an innocent freshman, but I'm not someone to be played."

Brynn stared at me like I had just grown a second head. "Don't tell me you're not going to the party tonight then."

"Going would mean playing into his claws," I explained, "and I would rather venture aimlessly into the human world or hold my breath until I turn as blue as you."

"Oh, come on, Danica," said Brynn encouragingly. "You should still come. If not for Mister Chiseled Abs, then at least to mingle with other monsters."

I gave her a look of bewilderment. "Mister Chiseled Abs?"

"Hey, I call it like I see it," said Brynn with a sheepish grin. "Plus, I don't know his name."

I shook my head at her ridiculousness. "It's Javier Rios."

Brynn shook her head in amazement. "Should have known a sexy monster would have an equally sexy name. Rolls off the tongue, wouldn't you say?"

"He's lucky then that one of us thinks that," I retorted before taking a sip of my Blort.

"Hey, at least he comes from a well-known family too," Brynn pointed out. "Rios and Worthington, they're up there with all those names like Sullivan, Gunderson, Thompson, and McCay."

"Remember how I said that I didn't care about family names?" I asked her with an arched eyebrow.

"Just saying that he's quite the catch, Danica," said Brynn, waggling her eyebrows at me. "You two could easily become the campus' biggest power couple."

"Well, to be honest, that isn't exactly on my list of goals to achieve before I graduate," I quipped with a laugh.

Brynn chuckled. "Danica, he's a RΩR and a Rios, so he has to be a great Scarer. On top of that, he's fine as hell and, based on what you've told me, has all four eyes on you. Are you sure you don't want him?"

Upon being asked such a question, I glanced up and was surprised to find that all four of Javier's pink orbs were, indeed, on me from afar. When he winked at me, I quickly turned back to Brynn and said, "Yeah, I'm sure."


	3. Party

Making Our Mark

Chapter 3: Party

* * *

"You sure you know where we're going?" Brynn asked as we approached Frat Row.

"Positive," I assured her. "I came here to see Johnny. Roar Omega Roar's house is next door to Jaws Theta Chi's."

Brynn nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks for coming out with me."

"No problem," I answered cheerfully. "You're here to meet some monsters, so I might as well too."

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Brynn gushed excitedly.

I laughed at her eagerness. "Just be wary of the refreshments. If you're going to drink anything, go for something closed, not the open punch bowl."

"Why?" Brynn asked with a puzzled expression.

Recalling what Johnny had told me during dinner the night before, I simply said, "Just trust me."

Brynn nodded as we stepped foot on the paved road and were immediately greeted by the dozens of monsters enjoying the warm evening and the festivities of Rush Week. Some were casually conversing on the porches of the various fraternity and sorority houses while others were running up and down the road, screaming maniacally. Some were grouped up along the sides of the road, their conversations cheerful, yet tame.

"Dang, the whole row is like a party," Brynn remarked in amazement.

"I'm actually surprised that these houses are still standing," I admitted.

The excitement in the atmosphere continued down Frat Row. I shook my head at a furry monster in an Omega Howl jacket bobbing his head rather violently to the music blaring from inside his frat house while another, wearing a red lampshade over his head, wandered aimlessly across the road and I winced as he crashed into the pole of a streetlamp.

 _Yep, Greek Life is not for me_ , I thought.

"Hey," said Brynn, pulling on my jacket, "there's the JΘX house!"

I looked at the building that Brynn was pointing to. The Jaws Theta Chi house was smaller in size compared to Roar Omega Roar's next to it, but its spacious front porch, outdoor furniture, and numerous strings of lights draped from the house to the nearby trees gave it an appearance of grandeur and vitality. The giant yellow blocks spelling out the fraternity's Greek letters were plastered on the wall above the front door.

Brynn and I exchanged a glance and a nod before approaching the house and climbing up the steps onto the crowded front porch. We carefully nudged our way between the monsters towards the front door, which was wide open in invitation. Upon stepping across the doorway, we came across upbeat music bellowing from some speakers along the walls and more monsters either chilling lazily on the furniture, snacking obnoxiously against the wall, dancing energetically in the middle of the living room, or chatting against the railing of the staircase.

"Hello, ladies," greeted a monster who hovered up to us, his bat-like wings keeping him suspended in the air. He was quite small in size compared to most monsters, a little larger than a football, with orange fur, sharp teeth, and a yellow sweater with his frat's Greek letters on them. I actually found him to be quite adorable. "Welcome to the JΘX house!"

"Thanks!" Brynn replied cheerfully. "I'm Brynn and this is Danica."

"Nice to meet you both," said the monster. "Feel free to make yourselves at home. Food's in the kitchen, bathroom's outside of it to the right, and if you need anything, my name's Omar."

"Thanks, Omar," I said with a smile.

Omar smiled back and flapped off towards a group of monsters by the television.

"He seems nice," Brynn remarked optimistically.

I nodded in agreement. "Wish I could say the same for the rest of his frat brothers."

"What do you mean?" Brynn asked curiously.

I smirked. "Let's just say several of them think the best pickup line out there is a simple wolf whistle."

Brynn shook her head at me. "First, RΩR, now JΘX? Is there a fraternity whose attention you haven't caught yet?"

"Gamma Gamma Roar, Slugma Oozma Python, Omega Howl?" I listed, ticking off the names on my claws. "It's not like I try to nor do I want to. It just happens."

"Well, I wish that would 'just happen' to me," Brynn admitted with a playful pout.

"Hey, if it's any Greek group's attention you should be catching, it's Slugma Slugma Kappa's," I reminded her. "You want to get initiated into their sorority, don't you?"

Brynn nodded. "Yeah, I guess I better go find them."

"You do your thing," I said encouragingly, "and I'll go find something to eat. Good luck."

Brynn nodded and proceeded forward, only to yelp and duck just in time to avoid being hit by a reckless monster swinging from a ceiling light. She frowned upwards before crawling out of range of the monster and then getting back to her feet. She continued further into the house, eventually disappearing into a crowd of dancing monsters.

I turned, about to head into the kitchen in search of some food, when the wall decor caused me to take a moment to study them. Judging by the various flags and plaques that were arranged prominently on the walls, complete with shiny Greek letters, it appeared that Jaws Theta Chi was quite proud of their fraternity and they had every right to be. Based on one plaque in particular, it seemed that they were the reigning champions of the Scare Games a few years back before Roar Omega Roar broke the streak during Johnny's freshman year.

Framed pictures of assorted shapes were nestled between the flags and plaques. I studied one in particular: a large group photograph of the entire Jaws Theta Chi fraternity. I recognized Omar in the air, baring his toothy grin at the camera. The other five, including the red one that had wolf-whistled at me the evening before, struck bizarre poses. Seeing their arms frozen in different ways, it was difficult to tell if they were trying to either be cool or summon rain.

"Well, what have we got here?"

Glancing to my right, I saw a monster sauntering up to me and I immediately recognized him as that terrible flirt of a monster from the evening before. He tugged on his yellow and orange jacket cockily, which I noticed had Jaws Theta Chi's letters emblazoned on them.

"Nice to see you again, gorgeous," the giant beast greeted, flashing his pointy grin at me.

I frowned at him. "I have a name, buddy, and it sure as hell's not that."

"Well, I'm Roy, President of Jaws Theta Chi and host of this awesome party," he boasted, not even bothering to learn my name, "but you can call me Big Red."

I scoffed at the nickname. "Big Red? Are you trying to overcompensate for something else with a nickname like that?"

"Well, if you play your cards right," said Roy, stepping closing to me, "you will find that I'm not."

I shuddered at what he was implying as I folded my arms in front of me. "I'd rather fold, thank you."

Roy narrowed his eyes angrily, seemingly not pleased by my answer. "I'd rethink that decision if I were you, babe."

"I will when pigs fly," I told him, staring him down as best as I could, "and since you still haven't sprouted wings, it would be in your best interest to get lost."

Roy snarled, "Why you little – "

"Chica, there you are!"

I turned and was surprised to find that Javier had suddenly appeared by my side, grinning down at me. A gentle tug on my shoulder told me that one of his arms had found their way around me in a manner that was more protective than possessive.

"Sorry about the wait," he said, passing me a closed Blort can. "Took a while to find where Percy put the cooler."

The pointed look in his eyes appeared to be communicating a message of some kind, one that I easily interpreted thanks to my tendency of reading the body language of other monsters. Smiling gratefully, I accepted the can and said, "No worries." I turned to smirk at Roy. "This monster here was just keeping me amused."

"No problems, I hope," said Javier, directing the statement to Roy, not to me.

Roy growled through his gritted teeth. "Not at all."

"Come on, my lovely señorita," Javier said to me as he nudged his head in the direction of the kitchen. "Let's get you a pizza."

I followed him willingly because it meant getting away from the JΘX president. As we weaved in and out of the crowd of dancing and mingling monsters, I couldn't help but wonder why Javier did what he did. Although it was very noble of him to put himself between Roy and me, I wondered why he did considering he seemed to love getting under my skin and I fully planned on calling him out for his questionable actions.

Upon entering the kitchen, where a tall stack of boxed pizzas and trays of snacks and drinks were available on a table, Javier released his hold on me to reach for a pizza box. "What kind of pizza do you want?"

I stared, pointing at him with my Blort can. "Why did you do that?"

"Offer you pizza?" Javier asked with a shrug. "I figured you might be hungry."

"I am," I admitted, "but, no, what I meant was why did you get in between Roy and me?"

Javier paused. "He couldn't take the hint to get lost, so I thought I would help."

I placed the can on the table and eyed him suspiciously. "Did Johnny ask you to keep an eye out on me?"

"No, chica, he knows you're capable of taking care of yourself," Javier assured her, "but like I said, I thought I would help."

I nodded slowly. "I imagined you being the last monster to do such a thing."

"Why do you say that?" Javier asked curiously.

"No pun intended, but you seem to enjoy bugging me," I pointed out, narrowing my eyes accusingly at him, "so I figured you would take huge pleasure in seeing me feel uncomfortable."

Leaning against the refrigerator, Javier said, "I'm not the asshole you make me out to be, chica."

"Is that so?" I responded with an arched eyebrow, "because let me tell you, our first meeting didn't exactly score you brownie points."

"Maybe not," said Javier, passing me a cheesy slice, "but there's more to me than you think there is."

Before I could respond, a purple cyclops sporting two mahogany horns and a JΘX jacket popped his head into the kitchen and yelled, "Yo, Jav, there you are!"

Jerking his head around to face the cyclops, he asked, "¿Qué pasa, Percy?"

"Xiao wants a match against you," Percy informed him with a grin.

Javier chuckled. "He wants to lose again?"

"Come on, I got the paddles ready," said Percy before disappearing without waiting for a response.

Javier grinned before turning back to me. "Are you up for watching a fierce ping pong game?"

I paused, accepting the pizza from him. "You play?"

Javier scoffed playfully. "Chica, I dominate."

I arched an eyebrow in interest. "Let's see then."

With a satisfied grin, Javier led me into another room adjacent to the kitchen in which various furniture, such as the couch and a table full of pizza boxes, were pushed off to the side, making room for a ping pong table that was unfolded in the middle of the room. Standing at one end of the table, equipped with four blue paddles, was a skinny and tall monster of pale blue with eyestalks for eyes.

Nodding his head towards his opponent, Javier said to me, "Chica, meet Zane Xiao."

Smiling kindly towards his opponent, I said, "Wŏ jiào Danica _."_

Zane smiled in surprise and replied, "Xìnghuì!"

Noticing the flabbergasted look on Javier's face, I laughed and said, "I introduced myself and he said that it's nice to meet me."

Javier looked at me expectantly. "Care to explain how you can speak Mandarin?"

"Maybe later," I replied coyly, gesturing to the table with my pizza slice. "Now you're going to live up to your reputation of dominating the ping pong table."

Zane let out a snort of derision the minute those words came out of my mouth.

Javier simply smirked at Zane. "You shouldn't be laughing. I have more trophies on my shelves than you do arms."

Zane scoffed and said, "There's a reason why I'm called 'the Great Wall' and it's not just because I'm from Cryna. Nothing gets past me."

"Is that so?" I spoke up with a mischievous grin. "In that case, I say we make this match interesting."

"How so?" Javier asked, his four orbs darting to me.

"If Zane wins," I said, "you leave me alone for the rest of the semester."

"And if I win," said Javier, grinning impishly, "you have to kiss me by the end of tonight."

I gaped at him indignantly, resting a hand firmly on my hips. "I will do no such thing!"

Zane chuckled. "Guess we know who she's siding with, Jav."

Javier shrugged off his opponent's remark and asked me, "Those terms sound good to you, chica?"

I paused. Part of me loathed the idea of kissing Javier to the point that interacting with Roy again seemed to be more paradisiacal. However, another part of me was bold in the face of challenges. In this case, the latter trumped the former. Spotting a bowl of ping pong balls on a nearby table, I reached for one and tossed it to Zane whose sharp reflexes allowed him to catch it easily. "Take him down."

"Yes, ma'am!" Zane answered with a mock salute before turning back to the table.

Javier winked at me before facing his opponent, his expression shifting from flirtatious to serious. He picked up the four paddles sitting on his side of the table and positioned his feet slightly apart, bracing himself for the upcoming match.

Zane grinned wickedly as he lightly tossed the ball upwards and then slammed it with one of his paddles, causing it to bounce off of his side of the table and towards Javier's side.

The moment it bounced off of his side of the table, Javier immediately whacked it back towards Zane, setting the stage for what I soon learn would be a fierce match.

"Toss another one in, chica!" Javier called, keeping his focus on the table.

I reached into the bowl for another ball and fired it towards Javier who easily smacked it towards Zane, only for Zane to readily pelt it back towards his opponent.

"Another one!" Javier barked at me.

I stared at him through a mouthful of pizza as though he just told me to stop breathing, but I nodded and threw another ball into the mix anyway.

Several monsters entered the room upon hearing the sound of the balls pinging and ponging back and forth. They kept out of the way, choosing to lean against the walls casually to watch the match that was growing in intensity as the two opponents relentlessly swatted the balls towards each other as though they were flies.

"One more, chica!" Javier demanded.

I hesitated at first, but shrugged it off and chucked one last ball into the match, eliciting murmurs of excitement and anticipation from onlookers.

Watching the balls fly back and forth in blurs made me dizzy, so I shifted my gaze from them to Javier who didn't appear to blink as he played. His forehead was dripping with sweat, his gaze exuding determination. He struck each and every ball that came his way with ease, using a mix of forehand swings and back hand shots, and did not appear to show any indication that he was tired.

Judging by his endless amount of stamina, sharp concentration, and quick reflexes, it seemed that Javier had been playing ping pong for years and played often. Cutthroat matches, like the one he was engaging in before me, would explain why his core and chest are so defined behind that cardigan of his.

It was at this point that I froze in horror.

 _You did_ _ **not**_ _just think that, Danica._

I smacked my forehead in a scolding manner before popping the last piece of my pizza into my mouth.

 _Goblin, I sound like Brynn_ _and I didn't even drink anything._

A loud squeal from the room next to us caused me to divert my attention to the open doorway nearby through which a giant ball of orange fur and horns scurried out. As it darted underneath the ping pong table, a green ball-like monster hopped onto the table and clumsily tumbled over it, sending the balls flying in various directions and disrupting the fierce match between Zane and Javier. Falling off the table, he landed on top of the orange puffball who bolted past me, nearly causing me to stumble into a trophy case.

Just when I thought the chaos was over, a behemoth of sky blue fur and purple spots hurried in from the same adjacent room and smoothly slid over the table, snapping it in half and causing Javier to jump backwards in surprise. The behemoth got back to his feet, swiped a pizza from a yellow monster, and dashed after the two round creatures as though he did not just blow through a room like a tornado.

"Holy slugs," I remarked, staring at the collapsed ping pong table. Shifting my eyes to Javier, I asked, "You okay, Rios?"

"Sí," Javier answered, staring in the direction in which the pig ran off. "What the hell just happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked, feeling a smirk form on my face. "That little pig just saved me from having to kiss you."

Javier chuckled. "It wouldn't have been a torturous experience, you know."

"Well, I'm not keen on finding out if that's true," I retorted.

Javier grinned, a hint of skepticism in his eyes. "You can't tell me that you're not the least bit curious."

"Oh, but I can," I assured him confidently. "In fact, what I'm more curious about is where the pig that nearly wrecked the JΘX house came from."

"That pig is Fear Tech's mascot," Javier explained, narrowing his eyes at the mess that was left behind, "and I'm gonna find out how it got here."

Before I could say anything, Javier hurried in the direction that the pig, as well as his chasers, went.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I went after him, following the trail of spilled food and drinks, toppled furniture, and broken knick knacks throughout the house and out the side entrance. As I crossed the deck and dashed past a couple of goth-like monsters, I shook my head at the sight of a purple lizard wearing cupcakes on his face and took extra caution not to slip on the ones that had fallen to the floor.

Reaching the lawns surrounding the cul-de-sac of Frat Row, I hastily pushed my way past through the growing crowd of monsters, completely abandoning my sense of good manners, until I got to the curb. I looked up in time to see the blue behemoth thrust the little green monster, who was clutching the squealing pig in his arms, into the air to thunderous cheers and applause from the other monsters present.

"MU rules!" the behemoth declared enthusiastically, causing the chants of school spirit to amplify in volume.

I rolled my eyes at the overly dramatic scene as the behemoth lowered the green monster to the ground, collected the pig from him, and passed it to another sky-blue monster with spikes for hair. A purple monster, who I noticed was sporting Slugma Slugma Kappa gear, slapped a Monsters University badge over the Fear Tech logo. The spiky-haired monster, along with other monsters in attendance, carried it off in celebration as though it was a prized trophy.

"Did you see him catch that pig?"

I jumped back in surprise as the entire Jaws Theta Chi fraternity pushed their way forward, led by their cocky president who had no sense of boundaries.

"You are Jaws Theta Chi material, freshman!" Roy declared, pointing at the behemoth.

The monster with a giant afro, who I had seen speaking with Johnny earlier during lunch, approached Roy in a confrontational manner. "No, no, no, he's an Omega Howl guy!"

"Back off," Roy barked, much to the amusement of the behemoth, "we saw him first!"

"No way, we did!" the Omega Howl president objected, getting in Roy's face.

"I'll take it from here, gentlemen."

Turning my head in the direction of the familiar voice, I watched Johnny saunter forward with a smug look on his face. The rest of his fraternity trailed behind him, Javier included, and I frowned slightly at the way he narrowed his eyes at the behemoth. I don't think he was too pleased that his ping pong match was interrupted so abruptly, which might explain the icy cold glare that was written so prominently on his face.

"Johnny Worthington, President of Roar Omega Roar," said Johnny by way of introduction, shaking the behemoth's hand. He slapped his free hand on his back, encouraging him to walk with him. "What's your name, Big Blue?"

"Jimmy Sullivan," the behemoth answered with feigned humbleness. "Friends call me 'Sulley'."

"This guy's a Sullivan, like the famous Sullivan?" Chet gushed excitedly like a star-struck fan on the red carpet. "I can't believe it! That is crazy!"

"Chet, calm down," said Johnny with a hand thrown out, his demeanor calm and collected.

"Sorry," Chet mumbled babyishly.

Johnny then turned back to Sulley and said, "Sulley, any freshman with the guts to pull off a stunt like that has got future Scarer written all over him."

"Danica!"

I tuned out of the conversation when I saw Brynn jogging towards me breathlessly, weaving in and out of the monsters that were returning to their original activities before the whole fiasco with the pig started.

"There you are," she said before pausing to catch her breath.

"Hey, how are things going with Slugma Slugma Kappa?" I asked.

"Great," Brynn replied cheerfully once she was breathing normally again, "we were just chilling in the living room when Fear Tech's mascot barreled through the house."

"Yeah, I saw that too," I said, referring to the latter. "What are we going to do with it?"

Brynn shrugged. "Who knows, but I'm sure Violet will tell me later."

I frowned in confusion. "Violet?"

"Violet Steslicki from Slugma Slugma Kappa," Brynn clarified, a smirk slowly beginning to emerge on her face. "Speaking of her, she pointed something out that was quite interesting earlier while we were in the living room."

"What?" I asked, silently questioning her knowing look.

"We saw you with Javier," Brynn explained, folding her arms in front of her with a gleeful smile. "Care to explain why he had his arm around you as you two went into the kitchen?"

I scoffed at her. "There's nothing much to explain. Roy wasn't leaving me alone, so he apparently saw the need to step in and make it look like I was taken."

"Aww, how heroic," Brynn remarked with a sigh.

I rolled my eyes. "While I appreciated the gesture, he probably saw it as a chance to look good in my eyes."

"And did he?" Brynn asked keenly.

I simply laughed. "The pizza in the kitchen looked better. Want to grab a slice?"

Brynn just shook her head at me with an amused smile and said, "Sure."

I gestured towards the JΘX house, encouraging her to start heading that way. As I did, I cast a quick glance back towards the RΩR house just in time to see the little green monster that had been riding the pig make some sort of bold declaration to Sulley before turning on his heel, thrusting his cap over his head, and storming off with a look of pure determination on his face. The Roar Omega Roar fraternity, including Javier, started making their way into their house with Sulley, looking to have no intention of returning to the JΘX party.

Javier must have sensed that someone was watching him because he suddenly paused, letting the rest of the fraternity enter the house ahead of him. He turned around, his eyes immediately meeting mine, and he grinned. He nudged his head in the direction of his fraternity's house: a silent invitation for me to follow him.

"Danica," Brynn called out, "are you coming or what?"

I simply flashed Javier a smug grin that could probably rival my brother's and then strutted confidently over to Brynn who was halfway between me and the JΘX house.

Most girls probably could not have walked away from him as easily as I did. Then again, I'm not like most girls and I wondered how long it would take for Javier to learn that. One thing's for sure: the educator in me was going to have a blast teaching him.


	4. Walk

Making Our Mark

Chapter 4: Walk

* * *

"Do you see Scaring Theory anywhere, Danica?"

"Here you go, Brynn."

"International Scaring?"

"Right here."

"Scare Ref?"

"Up here!"

Brynn grinned, catching the book that I had tossed down to her. The week after the crazy party hosted by Jaws Theta Chi found us in the library, searching for books for our respective classes. We quickly learned how important it would be for us to be as quiet as possible during our quest for books because we were approaching the library when a large grey tentacle emerged from the roof of the building, sending a screaming green lizard hurling into the river. Given that Brynn was a Scaring major and I came from a long line of Scarers, sneaking around the library was not a hard task for us.

Climbing down from the ladder leaning against the shelf, I asked Brynn, "Is that all?"

Brynn, who was carefully inspecting another shelf nearby, frowned. "For now, I guess. I can't seem to find Scare Technique anyway."

"Perhaps someone already checked it out," I told her as I collected my various assortment of Spanish and Education-related books that I had placed on the floor.

"Probably," Brynn murmured, wrapping her arms securely around her books. "Hopefully that monster doesn't renew it. I would really like to read it for my Scaring 101 class."

"You can always ask the librarian to put in a request for it," I explained as we began the trek towards the checkout desk. "That will notify the student who checked out the book that they have to return the book within a week because someone else wants it."

Brynn paled at the mention of the incredibly strict librarian.

I smiled sympathetically. "You might want to whisper your request. I don't want to have to fish you out of the river."

Brynn shook her head vigorously. "I think I'm better off praying that the book doesn't get renewed."

The librarian was silently reading behind the checkout desk when Brynn and I tiptoed up to it. Even though we were as quiet as mice, the glare on her face a clear indication of her displeasure to seeing us, maybe because she was in the middle of an interesting part in her novel or because she was simply annoyed with life. Nonetheless, she swiped our student cards from us with her tentacles, scanned our books, and slid them back over to us rather roughly.

Brynn and I exchanged looks, mine of surprise and hers of horror, before we crept as quickly as we could towards the rotating gates that separated the main floor of the library from the lobby that contained only trophy displays and wooden benches. We waited until we were safely in the lobby before we started speaking again.

"Sometimes I wonder if good grades are worth dealing with her," said Brynn, nudging her head in the direction from which we came.

I laughed, slipping my books into my bag. "Look at it this way, it's a good way to develop your stealth tactics as a Scarer."

"Very true," Brynn agreed, eyeing me admiringly. "You can be pretty quiet too."

I shrugged. "As Johnny would point out, I'm a Worthington. I think he would be beyond disappointed to find out that I got thrown out of the library because I lacked stealth."

"Speaking of your brother," Brynn began with a laugh, "do you think he would happen to have a copy of Scare Technique?"

I paused. "Well, he did mention that the RΩR house has its own personal library. If you want, I can find out if he or one of his brothers has a copy of that book that they wouldn't mind lending you."

Brynn began expressing her gratitude profusely when the main doors to the library were pulled open with a click. Soon after, Javier entered with a book in his hand and grinned when greeted by our presence, well, probably more so by mine than by Brynn's.

"Speaking of RΩR," I muttered, silently wishing that our trip to the library had been briefer.

"Well, this is a surprise," Javier remarked, approaching us with a broad grin. "Hola, chicas."

"We go to the same school, Rios," I pointed out frankly, "so it's not really a surprise for you to run into us."

"Oh, you must be Javier!" Brynn chirped as though she was just putting his name to his face for the very first time. "I'm Brynn."

"Nice to meet you," said Javier with a nod of acknowledgement.

"You as well," Brynn replied, smiling too brightly for my liking. "Danica has told me so much about you!"

The temptation to pull out a book from my bag to smack Brynn with became stronger the more she talked and I couldn't help but wonder if she thought that she was trying to be helpful or if she really wanted to be whooped like a piñata. She was certainly not the former and, if she kept talking, I could easily make the latter a reality.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I should be going," Brynn continued, the pitch in her voice higher than it normally was. "I don't want to be late for History of Scaring."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her. Brynn did not have History of Scaring until the late afternoon, so I knew exactly what her intentions were and, to be honest, she was a few 'helpful' words away from me flinging her out of the library and into the river myself.

"I'll see you for dinner, Danica," said Brynn in a final sort of way. "Nice meeting you, Javier."

Javier simply nodded his head in acknowledgement as my pig-tailed friend, or possibly enemy in this given moment, skipped off merrily towards and out the doors, completely unaware of the metaphorical daggers that my eyes were shooting at her retreating back.

"She seems nice," Javier remarked, looking amused.

"She is," I assured him, "but she can be annoying at times."

"Like me?" Javier asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "I guess you could say that."

Javier chuckled. "Are you off to class too?"

"Not until this afternoon," I explained. "I just came here to check out some books. You?"

"Just returning a book," Javier answered before slipping the book in his hand into the returns slot in the wall next to us. "Sullivan borrowed it for a party."

"Why did you guys need a book for a party?" I questioned curiously.

"The ping pong table at the JΘX house hasn't been the same since Fear Tech's pig wrecked the place during the last party," Javier explained, "so Sullivan got a book to put under one of the legs to keep the table steady."

I nodded. "Yeah, Johnny mentioned there being another party."

Javier nodded. "He wanted to show Sullivan a good time since welcoming him into RΩR."

"I see," I simply said in response. I was fully aware of the second party since Johnny invited me to it; however I had politely declined the invitation, so I could focus on establishing a routine with my classes and school work. According to Brynn, the majority of the party was spent playing beer pong, so I didn't miss much.

"You know," Javier began, watching me intently, "I didn't see you there."

I shrugged. "I was busy getting into the swing of things with school work. I wanted to have a grasp on that before going out and having fun."

Javier nodded paused before adding, "I was hoping you would be there."

I smirked. "Why, were you missing me already?"

Javier let out a low chuckle and admitted, "It's hard to get to know someone who isn't always around. You're not like most girls."

I smirked. "That's where you made your first mistake. I'm not sure what Johnny has told you about me, but I'm not like most girls."

"I'm starting to see that," said Javier. "In fact, I wanted to see if we could try this again?"

"You mean like start over?" I asked, resting a hand on my hip. "We could, but I don't think your ego could handle another bruising."

Javier shook his head. "I mean start over as if the last week didn't happen. Get to know each other without making assumptions about who we are based on our backgrounds."

"An intriguing suggestion," I hummed in contemplation, tilting my head slightly to the side, "but which pickup line will you use this time? Your answer will determine whether I roll my eyes at you or kick you in the shins."

Javier chuckled. "You're pretty sassy, you know that?"

"I'm aware of that, but it's nice to know you're just noticing it," I quipped, holding out a hand, "Hi, I'm Danica Worthington."

"Javier Rios," he said, playing along by shaking my hand. "Are you related to a Johnny Worthington?"

"He's my brother," I answered before feigning curiosity and asking, "You know him?"

Javier nodded with a knowing grin. "He's the president of our fraternity: Roar Omega Roar."

"Ah, you're a RΩR?" I asked with an air of surprise. "That must mean you're a Scaring major right?"

"Naturally," Javier replied, playing along, "and you?"

"Spanish Studies and Education," I answered as nonchalantly as I could.

"Ah, so you would like to be a teacher," Javier remarked with a smile.

I smiled. "Yes, just like my mother. Teachers teach the next generation and, who knows, there may be a bunch of future Scarers amongst them."

"Most likely," Javier agreed, eyeing me with interest. "A double major, huh?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "Johnny thinks I'm crazy to be doubling the workload, but I love what I do."

Javier chuckled. "He says you're just crazy in general."

"Well, he can be a few scream canisters short of a cart at times," I explained, rolling my eyes.

"Definitely," Javier agreed with a laugh. He then added in a whisper, "but don't tell him I said that."

"Tell him what?" I asked, batting my eyelishes innocently.

Javier smirked. "I think I'll keep you around, chica."

"It would be smart of you to do so, Rios," I told him as I began walking towards the exit.

Javier arched an eyebrow in intrigue as he followed me. "Is that so?"

"Well, if Johnny is right about my level of craziness," I said, "then it would be best for you to stay on my good side rather than on my bad, right?"

"You have a point," Javier admitted, pushing open one of the doors and gesturing for me to walk through first.

"Thanks," I said, exiting the building. "It's nice to know chivalry hasn't died out."

"Oh, there's more to me than that, chica," said Javier teasingly as he followed me out from behind.

"Like what?" I asked, gazing up him in curiosity.

Javier grinned. "Depends, how much time do you have until your afternoon class?"

With a quick glance at my wristwatch, I answered, "You have my attention until one or until you start to bore me. Whichever comes first."

"Okay then," said Javier with a laugh, "if you're up for a walk, I don't mind sharing."

I paused to consider the invitation, feeling the sun beaming down on the entire campus from the cloudless sky above. There was a cool breeze blowing in from the west. The combination of ideal weather conditions made it much too pleasant to be enjoyed indoors.

"You did say you're open to us starting over, right?" Javier asked, watching me intently.

"Hopefully, I won't live to regret this," I said with a smirk, "so for starters, tell me about the early years and we'll go from there."

Javier nodded as we began our walk down the main road that cut through the campus. "Well, I was born to a pair of very hardworking parents; mi padre's a Scarer over at Fear Tech and mi madre's the Chief of Cardiology over at Monstropolis General Hospital."

I was definitely impressed, not just by Javier's parents' professions, but by the humble manner in which he praised them for their work ethic rather than for the caliber of their success in their respective fields. "Any siblings?"

Javier shook his head. "No, only monster here."

I smiled sympathetically. "Did you ever feel lonely growing up without a brother or a sister?"

"It was nice not having a sibling to bicker with," Javier admitted, looking off into the distance in thought, "but at the same time, it did get lonely not having someone to hang out with all the time."

I nodded as understandingly as I could; I knew that I couldn't fully comprehend the loneliness that he experienced growing up without siblings given that I had Johnny for a brother.

"That's why I was glad when I started going to school," Javier continued, "because that's when I actually got to start making friends."

"Were you involved in a lot of extracurricular activities?" I asked.

"Not really," Javier answered sheepishly. "I sucked at a lot of sports. I gave ping pong a shot when I was in the sixth grade. It was the only sport that I really liked and was actually good at."

I smiled amusedly. "That explains the match against Zane at the JΘX party so much."

Javier chuckled. "Sí, sometimes I drop by the campus athletic center to keep my skills sharp. It's also a good workout."

 _No kidding_ , I thought, quickly shifting my eyes away from the firm plating along his chest. I quickly cleared my throat and asked, "And for the rest of school?"

"You mean the actual classes," said Javier with a grin. "I was actually a good student."

"Was?" I questioned teasingly.

Javier laughed, casting a glance towards me. "Still am, chica. I have to be to be in RΩR."

"A frat brother with brains," I murmured with interest. "A definite contrast to the stereotypical frat brother."

Javier nodded in agreement. "Johnny wants the best Scarers in RΩR, so good grades are a must."

"Speaking of Scarers," I said, "what made you decide to become one?"

"Well, I always looked up to mi padre growing up," Javier explained with ease. "Scaring is a dangerous career and the fact that he risks his life every day to go into the human world and collect human children's screams to help power the city is incredible."

"It definitely is," I agreed, my thoughts drifting to my own father. He, like my ancestors before him, worked diligently as Scarers, earning my family the reputation that my father constantly reminds Johnny and me to uphold. The pressure fell more so on Johnny since he chose to pursue the same career path.

"I guess you could say I want to become a Scarer, so I can do my part too," Javier continued, staring at the patch of road ahead of us. "Anything to help the city avoid a possible energy crisis."

I smiled kindly at Javier's obvious sense of respect towards his father and his sense of duty towards the city in which he has grown up. "So you want to follow in your dad's footsteps?"

"Sí," Javier answered with a nod, "but also make my own mark, you know what I mean?"

I nodded understandingly. "You mean, be your own monster?"

"Exactly," said Javier, sounding pleased that I understood him. "We're all Scarers, but we're not the same kind of monster."

"That much is certain," I agreed, "although many monsters would disagree with us on that matter."

"Probably," said Javier, gazing down at me with keen interest, "but the only monster I'm interested in right now is the one you are."

"Oh, there are a lot of layers to this monster," I told him, jabbing my thumbs towards me. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters," Javier began, "I'm interested in how you decided on your majors. You have to be at least proficient to consider Spanish as one of them, no?"

"Fluent," I corrected in a gentle and humble manner.

"And yet, Johnny doesn't understand a lick of it," Javier mentioned with an inquisitive hum, "so how did you go about picking it up in the first place?"

I smiled as I reflected on the start of my language-learning journey. "It's sort of a funny story."

"Do tell," said Javier, his curiosity seemingly piqued.

"Well, it started when I was one," I explained, throwing my hands out to add gestures to the tale. "My father bought me this toy with wheels and a handle, which he was hoping I could push to learn how to walk. Turns out it taught me more than just how to walk."

"What do you mean by that?" Javier asked with an amused grin.

I smiled, picturing the scene unfold in my mind. "The toy came with buttons of shapes that would say letters, numbers, and the names of animals whenever I pressed them."

"So you started learning letters, numbers, and the names of animals from that toy?" Javier asked.

I nodded with a laugh. "Sure did, and all in Spanish."

Javier chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah, turns out my father bought the Spanish version by accident," I explained with a grin. "He was going to return to the store and exchange it for an English one when he realized his mistake, but my mother, being a teacher, encouraged him to let me keep it, hoping that I would take to Spanish like a duck to water."

"You must have considering that's one of your majors," Javier pointed out.

"Very much so," I answered with enthusiasm. "That's why Johnny doesn't understand much Spanish; he went to school in the public school system and only studied Spanish up until it wasn't a requirement anymore. He doesn't have an interest in knowing any language other than English."

Javier nodded in understanding. "I assume you didn't go down that same route?"

"Like you, Rios, I make my own path," I told him with a proud smirk. "I ended up going to the Foreign Language Immersion Academy of Monstropolis where I pursued half of my studies in the Spanish language and the other half in English. I realized early on that I had a passion for learning languages and decided that I didn't want to limit myself to just learning two."

"Is that what lead you to learning Mandarin?" Javier asked, his gaze still on me.

"Yeah, but my co-op placement in Cryna played a huge role in that," I explained. "During my junior year of high school, I spent three months in Cryna where I taught English as a foreign language to students at both primary and high school levels. I enjoyed it so much that I could envision myself making a career out of it. Learning Mandarin was just a bonus."

"Are you fluent?" Javier asked.

I shook my head. "In Mandarin, no. I call what I know survival Mandarin, that is, enough to live a simple life there and get around."

"Would you think about pursuing it further?" Javier inquired.

I shrugged. "I haven't closed the door on it just yet. Maybe down the road when I have more time on my hands."

"Fair enough," said Javier, seeming to have found my answer acceptable. He paused before chuckling to himself.

"And just what is so funny to you?" I questioned, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I was just thinking about what you said earlier about Johnny; how he can be a few scream canisters short of a cart sometimes," Javier explained with another amused grin.

I shrugged with a smirk. "He may have excellent grades, but he doesn't always make the wisest decisions."

"Well, aside from his questionable decision-making skills, do you like having him for a brother?" Javier asked.

"I do," I admitted. "We may get on each other's nerves sometimes, as all siblings do with each other, but we have a close bond from growing up playing together. I can always count on him to be there for me when I need him, that is, unless it involves carrying my shopping bags. He draws the line at that and just stays at the mall food court, that is, if I can even get him to go with me to the mall in the first place."

Javier laughed. "Sounds like something Johnny would do."

"In all fairness, I draw the line at wiring him bail money," I explained honestly.

It was Javier's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Johnny isn't in jail."

"Give it time," I assured him with a claw held up, "and I'll be getting an urgent call for help from the Monstropolis Detention Center. Even though I love the giant puffball, I won't have any sympathy for him if he gets locked up for not listening to reason."

That elicited another laugh from Javier. "I take it you're the voice of reason?"

I shrugged. "I try to be, but he doesn't listen often."

"He should," said Javier. "You can learn a lot from someone just from listening."

I gave him a smug grin. "Are you saying you're learning a lot from listening to me talk?"

"Sí," Javier replied, only to chuckle at the sudden rumbling that my belly elicited, "because listening tells me that, right now, you must be hungry."

I flushed in embarrassment, silently scolding myself for sleeping in and skipping breakfast earlier that morning. "I guess I am."

"Well, since we walked all this way to the front gate of MU, want to grab some lunch at that bistro across the street?" Javier asked.

Frowning in confusion, I looked behind me and was surprised to learn that we were standing in front of the gated entrance to the campus through which various monsters of different majors and years of study were walking. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Is that a no?" Javier asked, sounding somewhat disappointed.

I shook my head again, watching a trio of monsters pass us on the way back to campus. "No, I just can't believe we walked this far. It didn't seem that long of a walk."

Javier smirked. "You must actually be enjoying my company to have not noticed where we were going."

I simply gave him a look. "You're a step up from a brick wall, but that's not really a reason to be smirking."

Javier pressed a hand to his chest and feigned a sigh of pain. "Ouch, why don't you just stab me in the heart?"

"If we head over to the bistro, I can grab a knife," I quipped, masking my sinister grin with an angelic smile.

Javier chuckled. "If you do that, I won't be able to pay for our lunch."

"What?" I questioned in surprise. "You're buying?"

Javier nodded as though the answer was obvious. "Hey, Johnny may make the RΩRs sound like a group of pompous asses, but I invited you out to eat, so it's my treat."

I paused to consider the offer of a free meal and then shrugged. "I guess I can wait until the bill is paid before putting a knife in you."

"Maybe by then, after a great lunch with great company, you'll consider keeping me around," said Javier, eyeing me hopefully.

"Then I guess your life depends on this lunch," I said, looking him right in his eyes. "Amuse me."

"Challenge accepted, chica," said Javier daringly, flashing me his charming smile.

As we crossed the empty street that separated the main entrance of the campus from the line of businesses across from it, I thought to myself that if lunch with Javier was going to be as enlightening as the conversation that we just had during our walk, then I was in for quite the learning experience outside of the classroom. Whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing only time would tell.


	5. Oozma

Making Our Mark

Chapter 5: Oozma

* * *

"Diagnostic assessments evaluate a student's prior knowledge of a subject," I explained, my hand in the air for the umpteenth time that day. "Formative assessments evaluate the learning process in which the student is engaged."

My professor for the course, which was aptly called Assessment and Evaluation, nodded with a broad smile. "Correct again!"

I smiled proudly and mentally praised myself for being able to keep up with the readings for my classes. It helped that doing so was part of the routine that I had gradually eased into: I would wake up, grab breakfast in the cafeteria, and go to my classes throughout the day. In between classes, I would do schoolwork either in my dorm room or, if the weather was nice, on a picnic table outside. Whenever Brynn was not busy trying to impress the members of Slugma Slugma Kappa, she joined me to do work, to eat a meal, and to enlighten me on the latest campus news.

"Well, that's it for today everyone," my professor, Leonard Clark, announced cheerfully. "See you next week and don't forget that your diagnostic assessment assignment is due next Thursday."

There was a rustle of papers as students hurriedly shoved their belongings into their bags and rushed out the door, seemingly eager to be anywhere but in a lecture. It had been two weeks since classes had started and I found myself to be thoroughly enjoying them. Whether the content was related to Spanish Studies or to Education, I always found what was being taught quite intriguing. It was a good indication that I was going into the right profession.

After packing away my notebook and pencil case, I swung my messenger bag over my shoulder and crossed the classroom to the door. There were about a dozen students in the corridor when I stepped out; they were either chatting in groups or travelling from one classroom to another. Snippets of different conversations reached my ears, ranging from the casual tentative plans for the upcoming weekend to the outrageous rumour that a Jaws Theta Chi fraternity brother and a Python Nu Kappa sorority sister were caught in a very compromising position behind the clock tower earlier in the week.

The sound of objects hitting the floor, followed by a yelp of objection, shifted my attention from the waves of corridor gossip.

"Hey!"

Looking to the left of me, a two-headed monster, each with one eye and brown horns, frowning in the direction of another monster who was larger in stature and had snickered as he sauntered off with his buddies. The twins groaned and knelt down to collect the books and papers that lay scattered around their striped tentacles.

I wasted no time in hurrying towards them and crouching carefully to the floor since I was in a dress and did not wish to flash the entire corridor. I helped to gather the books and papers that remained on the floor below the twins, making sure to stack the pages in a neat pile on top of the books. Once finished, I glanced up at them to find them staring at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and apprehension.

Smiling kindly in reassurance, I held out their books and papers to them and said, "Here you go."

The monsters exchanged glances before slowly reaching out to take their school materials back, with the taller twin saying to me, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I replied, getting up as gracefully as I could and smoothing out my dress.

"That was nice of you," the shorter twin remarked with a smile as he and his brother straightened back up.

I shrugged it off the compliment humbly. "I just wanted to help."

"Not many monsters do," said the shorter twin, his smile fading quickly. "Most are like the one that just pushed us."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I'm not like them," I assured them before pausing. "At least I like to think I'm not."

"You seem nice," said the taller twin, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. "Are you new here?"

"Yeah, I'm a freshman," I answered.

"Nice, well, welcome to MU!" the shorter twin exclaimed, his tone oozing warmth. "What's your name?"

Before I could answer, my professor from Assessment and Evaluation popped up beside us, having just exited the classroom himself. "Excellent participation as usual, Miss Worthington."

Trying to ignore the burning and accusing gaze that the twins suddenly projected towards me, I nodded gratefully at my instructor and said, "Thank you, Professor Clark."

"Keep up the great work," Professor Clark encouraged with a proud smile before he continued down the corridor, completely unaware of the awkwardness that he had just created.

Forcing my eyes to shift back to the twins, I noticed that the taller one was indeed looking at me as though I just murdered their mother while the shorter one simply stared at me with his mouth agape.

"You're Johnny's sister?" the taller twin questioned with narrowed eyes.

I sighed. "Yeah."

The taller twin shook his head in disbelief. "You don't act like him at all."

I forced myself to chuckle in an attempt to defuse the awkwardness. "I hope that's a good thing."

"Oh, it is," said the shorter twin with a reassuring smile. "He's not exactly the nicest monster on campus, so it's a relief to know that his sister is."

I smiled kindly. "Well, thank you. Trust me, I don't plan on strutting around like I own the place because I don't. I'm just here to do my own thing."

"That's fair," said the shorter twin, holding out his hand. "I'm Terri with an 'i'." Nudging his head in his twin's direction, he added, "My brother's Terry with an 'y'."

"A pleasure," I said, shaking Terri's hand. "I'm Danica, Spanish Studies and Education."

"Nice to meet you," said Terri. "I'm a Dance major."

"And I'm not," Terry drawled unenthusiastically.

"English," Terri clarified for his twin. "Say, do you have any plans for lunch?"

Remembering that Brynn was having lunch with Slugma Slugma Kappa today, I shook my head.

Terri beamed at me. "Well, in that case, why don't you join us for lunch at our frat house?"

"You're part of a fraternity?" I asked with interest.

Terri nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Oozma Kappa."

I paused, picturing the layout of Frat Row in my mind with ease because of my strong visual-spatial skills. "I don't remember seeing your house on Frat Row."

"That's because we don't have one there," said Terry dryly. "We're not exactly welcomed by the Greek community."

I nodded sympathetically. If Terri was correct in saying that they were pushed around by many monsters at Monsters University, then they must not have much of a social life on campus. It made me smile slightly, however, to know that the Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers had each other to lean on when they felt alienated by the rest of the campus community.

"One of our frat brothers has a mom who lets us use her house as our frat house," Terri explained. "It's not too far off campus."

"It's very kind of you to invite me for lunch, but I don't wish to impose," I told them. "Your frat brother's mom already has an entire fraternity under her roof. It would be rude of me to show up as another mouth to feed, especially without any prior notice."

"Don't worry about it," Terri insisted politely. "Ms. Squibbles loves having company over and she's a great cook. I'm sure the guys would love to meet you too."

I gave the invitation some thought before nodding. "In that case, I gladly accept."

* * *

The Oozma Kappa fraternity house was a quaint two-storey building in a cozy neighbourhood just a few blocks away from the Monsters University campus. It was made up of yellow walls, curtain-covered windows, a wooden porch, white columns, and a chimney that was billowing smoke. A peach-coloured van, most likely belonging to Ms. Squibbles, was parked in the driveway. A well-kept front yard of lush green grass, various plants, and a maple tree was surrounded by a fence of neatly-arranged stones.

"This is an adorable place that you guys have here," I remarked as we travelled up the path to the house.

"It's not much," said Terry, "but it's a roof over our heads."

I nodded, trailing the twins from behind as we climbed up the steps and onto the porch. Rather than knock, Terri simply opened the door and he and Terry walked inside as though they owned the place. I hesitated, not used to simply waltzing into a place without knocking first, before entering the house and closing the door behind me.

It appeared that we were standing in the living room of the house. There was a circular rug, sofa, and armchair that were just as flowery in design as the wallpaper that surrounded the room. A clock sat atop the fireplace while a beautiful antique grandfather clock was ticking against the wall. In the corner of the room was a wooden display case that held delicate pieces of fine china, just like the ones that were arranged neatly along a shelf above a nearby door. The ceiling lamp and floor lamp gave the room a very homey feel. Definitely not a typical frat house, but the Oozma Kappas seemed to have added their fraternity touch to the place by painting the wooden fixtures along the walls, windows, and doors in olive green.

"Hey, guys!" what appeared to be the oldest member of the fraternity greeted the twins joyfully from his place in the armchair.

"Hey!" Terri replied merrily as he and Terry stepped aside, allowing me to see that there were two other monsters in the room in addition to the one that had greeted the twins.

"New friend?" the oldest member asked, his warm eyes darting to me.

"Yeah," Terri confirmed, gesturing to me. "This is Danica Worthington."

"Worthington?" the small pudgy monster with five eyes squeaked, recoiling deeper into the couch in fear.

I sighed and said, "I take it you know my brother, Johnny?"

"Relax, Squishy," Terri assured him gently. "She's nothing like him."

Squishy paused before sitting upright again in his seat. He looked at me cautiously before mumbling a shy, "Hi."

"Johnny threw him into a trash can one time," Terry explained to me when I gave him a look of confusion. "He's been like that ever since."

Smiling sympathetically at Squishy, I said, "It's nice to meet you, Squishy. I'm sorry to hear that my brother did that to you."

Squishy cracked a small smile, probably realizing that I meant no harm. "It's okay."

"We hope you all don't mind, but we invited Danica over for lunch," Terri explained to the group.

"Well, any new friends of the twins are friends of ours," said the oldest member with a chipper voice. He pushed himself off of the armchair and came over to shake my hand. "Don Carlton, President of Oozma Kappa."

"A pleasure," I replied, shaking his hand.

"And I'm Art!" the purple arch-shaped monster declared enthusiastically, making his presence by the coffee table known. "So nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," I responded, amused by his excitement.

"Did I hear talk of a new friend?" a female monster gushed, sticking her head out of the doorway that separated the living room from what was either the dining room or the kitchen. She appeared to be a female version of Squishy, except older and seemingly more outgoing. Her blonde hair was wrapped in a set of brightly-coloured rollers and she donned a flowery dress. I assumed that she was the Ms. Squibbles who owned the house.

"Yeah, Mom, this is Danica," said Squishy as his mother entered the living room. "Terri and Terry met her and invited her for lunch."

Before I could express how nice it was to meet her, Ms. Squibbles enveloped me in a giant hug as though I was one of her own children and had just returned home after a year abroad.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, dear!" the matriarch squealed before pulling back to smile brightly at me.

"It's nice to meet you too," I replied, a bit taken aback by the sudden gesture of welcome, but I smiled in appreciation nonetheless. "Thank you for having me over."

"There's no need to thank me," Ms. Squibbles assured me. "Any friends of my boys are welcome over anytime!"

I smiled graciously towards her. Ms. Squibbles seemed to be quite motherly given how she welcomed her son's entire fraternity, and now me, into her house with open arms. They may not receive a lot of compassion from their peers at Monsters University, but they seem to receive plenty of it from her, and it warmed my heart immensely to know that Oozma Kappa had someone loving and supportive in their corner.

"Is lunch ready yet, Mom?" Squishy asked eagerly.

"Just got done with it!" Ms. Squibbles answered proudly. "Come, come, don't want the food to get cold!"

There were a series of blurs as Art, Squishy, Terri, and Terry scrambled towards the kitchen, colliding with each other as they attempted to force themselves through the open doorway at once. Don and Ms. Squibbles chuckled and giggled respectively before following them at a more leisurely pace. I trailed the two adults from behind, admiring the décor around me.

Upon entering the kitchen, I was immediately greeted by the enticing aroma of marinated chicken. Looking to the table that sat eight, which was draped with a lacy tablecloth, I noticed six china bowls of piping hot chicken noodle soup, a towering plate of subs filled with assorted meats, and a giant pitcher of freshly-squeezed slimonade with a stack of clear glasses.

"This looks great, Ms. Squibbles!" Art gushed excitedly as he clambered onto a chair.

"I'm starving!" Squishy exclaimed, seating himself next to Art.

"Over here, Danica!" Terri called, patting the empty seat next to him and Terry.

I snapped out of my amazement at the inviting sight of the table and went to sit next to the twins while Don seated himself at the head of the table.

The next hour was full of laughs and chatter as we filled our stomachs and got to know each other better. The fraternity, despite knowing that I had a notorious brother, seemed eager to get to know me better. My explanation was similar to the one that I had given Javier during our campus walk: I was born into a family full of successful monsters and decided early on in life that I would make my own mark on the world, regardless of the career that I would pursue, without relying on my family name to open doors for me. To my utter relief, they seemed quite understanding and perhaps impressed of my willingness to work for what I wanted in life.

As Don refilled our glasses of slimonade, he shared that he was a mature student who used to be in sales, but the economic downturn propelled him to return to school. Through a mouthful of bread and bacon, Art managed to get out that he was a New Age Philosophy major who often jotted down his thoughts in a dream journal. Squishy admitted to not having declared a major and that his real name was actually Scott. They revealed that they all used to be Scaring majors, but had been removed from the program because Dean Hardscrabble believed that they lacked the potential to be great Scarers.

Sipping my glass of slimonade, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy towards Oozma Kappa. Sure, they didn't look like what Johnny called 'real Scarers', but they were still monsters and seem capable of unleashing the beasts within themselves if they tried. My mother always told me that you could achieve anything if you worked hard enough and I truly believed that Oozma Kappa would surprise the entire campus with their scaring abilities if given the opportunity.

Don was in the middle of telling a joke when an antique cuckoo clock on the wall nearby chirped, indicating that it was one in the afternoon and causing me to gasp in surprise.

From her place by the sink, Ms. Squibbles cast me a look of concern. "Is everything okay, dear?"

Looking to the matriarch, I nodded. "Yes, but may I pleased be excused? My Introduction to Literary Studies class starts in half an hour and I have to get back to campus."

"I completely understand, dear," said Ms. Squibbles with a gentle smile. "It's been a pleasure having you over. Feel free to drop by anytime."

Don nodded in agreement. "Yes, our door is always open to you, Miss Worthington."

I smiled amicably as I removed the napkin on my lap and placed it on the table. "Thank you and thank you for having me over."

"We'll walk back with you, Danica," said Terri as he and his twin stood up with me. "Terry's Contemporary Literary Theory class starts soon too."

"So does my Extentialism class," Art piped up. "I'll come with."

Once Terri, Terry, Art, and I collected our belongings from the living room, we bid goodbye to Don, Squishy, and Ms. Squibbles and began the short trek back to campus.

* * *

The journey back to Monsters University from Oozma Kappa's frat house was brief, but cheery, mainly because Terri and Terry entertained Art and me with a variety of their magic tricks along the way. They expressed their desire to perform during the campus-wide talent show at the end of next semester and I was certain that they would blow the audience away with whatever was up their sleeves, literally and figuratively.

Although our majors were different, they all fell under the umbrella of the liberal arts, meaning that all four of us were bound for the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities for our respective classes. Personally, I was excited for my Introduction to Literary Studies class and the upcoming class discussion that we would be having for the first novel that we were assigned to read.

"Danica!"

Turning in the direction of the angry voice that barked at me, I spotted Johnny glaring at me venomously from the troll bridge, his hands clenched tightly by his side.

"Johnny doesn't look too thrilled to see you," said Terry, eyeing my brother suspiciously who was storming up to us.

"And I think I know why," I mumbled before speaking up. "You guys go on to your classes. I'll see you later."

"You sure?" Art asked, eyeing me carefully. "We can wait for you."

"I'm sure," I replied confidently. "I know you guys aren't too fond of Johnny, so you don't have to stick around if you guys don't want to."

Terri smiled gratefully. "Thanks for understanding, Danica."

Terry jutted his head in the direction of the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, signalling for Terri and Art to continuing walking. "Let's go."

Art nodded. "See you later, Danica."

I nodded, watching Art, Terri, and Terry walk past the bookstore. I sighed, feeling my heart break for not just Art and the twins, but for Don and Squishy as well. All they wanted was to feel part of the Monsters University family and most of that family did not seem to want to include them. The optimistic side of me held out hope that one day, in some manner or another, Oozma Kappa would find a warm sense of belonging on campus.

Once Johnny reached me, he snarled, "Just what do you think you were doing?"

"Uh, walking?" I answered, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, what were you doing walking with the Oozmas?" Johnny questioned accusingly, resting his hands on his hips.

"We just got back from lunch and were on our way to class," I explained simply, trying to maintain a calm composure.

"You had lunch with them?" Johnny roared, causing a few monsters passing by to jump in alarm.

"Yes!" I cried with an air of exasperation. "Seriously, what's with all the questions? It's not like all that we did was illegal."

"No, but it's downright embarrassing," Johnny growled, seemingly appalled by my actions. "Do you have any idea how this looks?"

"Uh, it looks normal," I guessed, "unlike this scene that you're making."

Dragging a hand down his face in frustration, Johnny snarled, "It looks bad for monsters like us to hang out with monsters like them."

"How so?" I questioned in puzzlement.

"They're not scary and they never will be," Johnny explained firmly. "They are nothing but an embarrassment to the monster race."

"That is awfully rude of you to say, especially since you don't know them at all," I responded boldly. "I may have only met them today, but they are a very nice bunch of monsters."

"Niceties don't get you into a scare company," Johnny pointed out. "That's why they didn't last in the Scaring program."

"Life isn't all about scaring," I reminded him. "I'm an example of that."

Johnny sighed. "I know, sis, but I'm just saying that you and I, like the Worthingtons before us, are successful at what we do and we shouldn't be associating with those beneath us."

"Oh, the Oozmas are suddenly inferior because they're not Worthingtons, Rioses, Gundersons, Thompsons, or McCays?" I scoffed incredulously.

"Exactly," Johnny replied with a sigh of satisfaction, assuming that I was finally understanding where he was coming from.

"Look, we may all have different last names, but cut us open and we all bleed blood," I pointed out.

Johnny huffed, folding his arms in front of him. "Your point?"

"My point is that we're all monsters who are here at Monsters University to pursue the careers of our dreams," I elaborated. "We all deserve to be here and we all deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of the career paths that we go down and the backgrounds from which we come."

"You had me until that second part," said Johnny with a chuckle.

Rolling my eyes, I said, "You're entitled to your own opinion, Johnny, and so am I. Clearly, we don't have the same perspective on the matter, so let's just agree to disagree and move on, yeah?"

Johnny grumbled. "Fine, but stay away from those Oozmas. They're only going to drag you down and make you look weak in the eyes of other monsters."

"Okay, firstly, you don't know that," I told him, holding up a finger. Adding a second one, I continued, "Secondly, what you should know by now is that I don't care what other monsters think of me." With a third finger up, I added, "Finally, you should also know that you can't tell me what to do. You're older than me and, for that, I respect you, but I would like you to respect me and my decisions, and that includes who I hang out with."

Johnny scowled at me as though I had just asked him to fling himself off of the top of the clock tower. "I refuse to stand by and let you make the biggest mistake of your life."

"Then at least stand by, so I can get going to class," I told him, the tone of my voice indicating that our conversation was over. Spinning on my heels, I said, "See you around, Johnny."

Johnny's sudden growl of protest from behind stopped me in my tracks.

"Hey, what are you doing, man?"

I quickly realized that Johnny's question was not directed at me. Turning back around, I saw Javier standing in between Johnny and me, glaring at his fraternity's president with narrowed eyes. Seeing him grip Johnny's outstretched arm tightly by the wrist while another hand was facing me in a protective manner caused me to exhale in surprise.

"Easy there, amigo," Javier said calmly to my brother.

Johnny stared at his right-hand monster in astonishment, probably questioning his sudden appearance out of nowhere.

Javier must have been able to decipher the question behind Johnny's facial expression because he said, "Don't look so surprised to see me; you were easy to find since the whole campus probably heard you yelling. Shouldn't you be heading to class now?"

Johnny roughly jerked his arm out of Javier's grasp, gave me one last warning glare, and sauntered off, his tail coiled in fury.

"You okay, chica?" Javier asked me, the tone of his voice gentler, yet with a hint of ire.

"Yeah," I answered, looking up at him curiously. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that Johnny didn't have a reason for laying a hand on you," Javier answered. "Actually, there is no reason for laying a hand on you, period, on any girl really."

I shook my head at Johnny's retreating back. "Was he really going to hit me?"

"I don't think so," said Javier, watching Johnny cross the bridge. "I saw him reach out to you, maybe to grab your arm or something, but I had a feeling it would hurt since he looked extremely pissed off at you. I couldn't let him do that."

I smiled at Javier's actions and thoughtfulness, both which surprised me. "Well, thank you. I appreciate that."

"De nada," Javier responded with a small grin. Giving me a gentle punch on the shoulder, he added, "Don't let Johnny tell you what to do."

"I never did and don't plan on starting now," I assured him with a smirk. "See you around, Rios."

"Hasta luego, chica," Javier replied with a bow of his head and a cheeky smile.

As I turned my back to Javier and proceeded in the direction of the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I reflected on the events that had just transpired, particularly on the one when Javier willingly stood in front of Johnny and physically restrained him out of concern for me. Perhaps there was another side to him that he was slowly starting to show and, if truth be told, I wouldn't mind seeing that side of him more often.


	6. Latin

Making Our Mark

Chapter 6: Latin

* * *

September was nearing its end, yet I already managed to attend my first Greek party, fend off the persistent President of Jaws Theta Chi, anger Johnny for forging friendships with the members of Oozma Kappa, gain somewhat more of an understanding of who Javier was and refrain from killing him in the process, all while keeping up with my readings for my classes, attending lectures, and kicking some major tail on the first few assignments. To say that I found it all overwhelming was an understatement.

Fortunately, a spontaneous visit to the campus fitness center one morning allowed me to find solace in the art of dance in an empty studio with ceiling-high mirrors tessellated along the walls. Whenever I found myself getting stressed out, taking the floor inside a dance studio always brought me peace and allowed me to channel my innermost thoughts and emotions into beautifully-executed movements with my body. It was a healthy way to practise mindfulness and cultivate good mental health.

The cha-cha beat from the song playing from my phone in the corner of the studio livened up both the atmosphere and my mood as I embraced the wide-open space of the hardwood floor. I didn't hold back as I gave sharp box zig zags and jutted my hip out with every split Cuban break. On one powerful beat in the song, I kicked my right leg forward and upward into a standing front split while maintaining excellent balance despite the heeled shoes that I wore. I was very proud of my versatility as a dancer and I was hell bent on showing it, even if no one was around to see it.

Eventually, I recognized that the song was coming to an end. To the final beat, I struck a pose, popping my hip out to the side and shooting my right hand upward. I gave a confident nod to my reflection in the mirror before me as I gradually lowered my hand behind my neck, letting it travel sensually down my chest and back down to my side. I was feeling fierce, fiery, and sexy, a complete one eighty from when I first entered the studio earlier that morning.

"Bravo, girl!"

Startled slightly by the voice, I quickly shifted my attention to Brynn's reflection in the mirror and I noticed that she was not alone. Spinning around, I saw her standing next to Violet by the closed door of the studio, clapping enthusiastically and looking thoroughly as impressed as Violet did.

"You have a gift!" Brynn gushed, hurrying over to me with the gracefulness of a newborn deer.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, disregarding what I felt was undeserved praise. "I didn't hear you come in."

"We came in about a minute ago, but you were so focused on the dance, so I didn't want to interrupt." Brynn explained with a smile. Gesturing to her companion, she said, "You remember Violet right?"

"Of course," I replied, extending a hand to the female cyclops. "I'm Danica."

"I know, Brynn has told me all about you," said Violet, shaking my hand with a broad smile, "except she left out the fact that you're quite the talented dancer."

"In my defense, she never mentioned that she could dance," Brynn told her, holding up her hands as though she was caught with her claws in the cookie jar.

"There was never a need to bring it up," I pointed out kindly in defense of Brynn, "so what brings you both by?"

"Oh, we just finished a celebratory cardio session with our sisters when I noticed you on my way out," Violet explained.

"Our sisters?" I repeated before smiling brightly at Brynn. "That means you got initiated?"

"Yep, I'm officially a Slugma Slugma Kappa!" Brynn stated, swelling with immense pride.

I beamed at her. "Congratulations, Brynn!"

"Thanks," said Brynn with a fond gaze towards Violet. "I'm hoping to compete with them in the Scare Games next semester, but we'll see how it goes."

"If you do, I know which team I'll be rooting for," I told her in support of her goal.

"Good to know," said Violet, eyeing me with great interest. "Anyway, back to the topic about dancing. How long have you been doing it?"

"For twelve years," I admitted as humbly as I could. "It has always been my way of expressing myself whenever words failed me."

"I find it hard to believe that words could fail you given that you're good with languages and are going into teaching," said Violet with a laugh. "Which styles are you familiar with?"

"I do a little of everything," I answered. "Acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical, but ballroom is my speciality."

"Good because speciality and versatility is exactly what I'm looking for!" Violet chirped happily.

"Come again?" I said in confusion.

"Well, in addition to being a Slugma Slugma Kappa sister, I'm also the instructor for the hip hop classes at the MU fitness center," Violet explained, "and us staff have been flipping out because we're down a dance instructor."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "What happened?"

Violet sighed. "Supposedly, the monster that we had hired at the end of last year was performing at a recent charity event when her heel hit some spilled punch and she went sliding into the – "

"Oh!" I gasped, wincing at the gruesome image forming in my mind.

"Yeah, she says that the injury is pretty serious," Violet continued, "so she won't be teaching dance classes any time soon."

I paused before asking, "Which classes was she supposed to teach?"

"Latin Fusion," Violet answered, watching me carefully. "It involves taking a Latin dance style and fusing it with one or more non-Latin dance styles to create more dynamic choreography."

I felt my eyes widen upon realizing what Violet was implying. "I have a feeling I know where you're going with this."

Violet smiled gently at me. "Danica, there have already been monsters signing up for the Latin Fusion dance classes, so I've been doing my best to find a replacement instructor to avoid cancelling the classes, especially since those who signed up are pumped for them. After what I just saw you do, I think you're just the monster for the job."

"That's very nice of you to consider me, Violet," I told her, "but I don't think I'm qualified."

"Then Violet and I must be blind," said Brynn, "and trust me when I say that we're not."

"I don't know," I said uneasily. "I mean, I've been coached for the twelve years that I've been dancing. I've never actually done any actual coaching."

"So, this can be your chance to do so," Brynn pointed out encouragingly. "Think of it as honing your teaching skills for when you finally go into schools come practicum time."

"Well, when you put it that way, it would be foolish of me to not jump at the opportunity," I began, "but I wouldn't do it if it would take time away from my studies, especially this early on in my undergraduate career."

"I don't think you would have to worry about that," Violet assured me. "The Latin Fusion dance classes, like all dance classes, have been scheduled in the evenings to avoid conflicting with a majority of academic-related classes."

"I know your schedule well enough by now to know that your latest classes of the week finish in the afternoons," Brynn piped up. "You will have plenty of time to grab dinner and prepare for the lessons."

"Plus, the pay is way more than what monsters make flipping burgers over at McGrowl's," Violet chimed in.

"Like she needs the money anyway," said Brynn with a laugh, referring to the wealth that my family had accumulated from generations of hard work, some which funded my and Johnny's educations at Monsters University.

"It seems doable," I murmured before asking Violet, "but how many classes would I be teaching?"

"Three one-hour classes from seven to eight in the evening," Violet answered. "The beginner class is on Mondays, the intermediate one is on Wednesdays, and Fridays are for the advanced class. What you teach is up to you; you'll have creative freedom."

I nodded slowly, thinking about the opportunity that Violet presented to me. The idea of teaching the Latin Fusion dance classes certainly intrigued me; it would give me a chance to develop my pedagogy as a teacher, share my love of dance with other monsters, and get involved with the campus community. However, I knew that I would be making a huge commitment by agreeing to fill the vacancy and I did not want to bite off more than I could chew, especially so early on in my undergraduate career.

Violet must have sensed my uncertainty because she spoke up, "I know that it's a lot to think about in such a short period of time, but I think you would do a really great job with these classes."

"Thank you," I replied gratefully, "but it's definitely a lot to process."

"I agree," said Violet before pausing to reflect on a matter. "Tell you what, it's Latin Night tonight at the Chili Steppers Club in downtown Monstropolis. Why don't you go out, let loose, have some fun, and take some time to think over the offer?"

I shrugged, figuring it was the end of the school week and that immersing myself in a Latin-inspired environment would help me to arrive at a decision that would be best for me. "Eh, why not? I could use a night out."

"Wonderful," Violet remarked with an air of satisfaction. "When you reach a decision, let me know and we'll get the ball rolling immediately."

"Will do," I promised before asking, "Would you and Brynn like to join me tonight?"

Violet smiled at Brynn and responded, "Thanks, but we've got bowling and indoor mini golf plans with our sisters."

"More team bonding," Brynn explained, seeming excited for the night ahead.

"No worries, I understand," I assured them with a smile. "Don't worry, I think I know of a monster who would probably jump at the chance to go dancing tonight."

* * *

"Tell me again why we're going dancing tonight?" Terry asked his twin from the passenger seat of my Range Roarver.

"Because Danica invited us, I love to dance, and you need to get out more," Terri listed.

"I'm perfectly happy staying in and curling up in a chair with a good book," Terry insisted.

From behind the wheel, I quickly cast a glance towards the twins and noticed that while Terri appeared his usual cheerful self, Terry was the complete opposite.

"You always do that and I never complain about it," Terri reminded him. "It wouldn't kill you to go along with something that I want to do for a change."

"It just might," said Terry uneasily. "You know I can't dance."

"Oh, Terry, anyone can dance," I assured him confidently. "It'll be fun."

"If you say so," said Terry, his voice oozing doubt.

"Hey, at least we're getting away from campus for a while," Terri pointed out. "I love MU, but most of the students…not so much."

"Gee, thanks for the love," I remarked with a mix of sarcasm and humour.

Terri laughed. "You're not like most of the students, Danica. Otherwise, we wouldn't have accepted your invitation."

"Let alone trust you with our lives behind the wheel," Terry added in an attempt to humour us.

"Nice to know that I'm decent company," I quipped.

We laughed as we pulled up to a well-lit building where a powerful Latin beat was booming from within. To our good fortune, there was an available parking space along the curb that I was able to pull into. Once I shut off the engine, we stepped out to a cool breeze and the chatter from conversations between monsters who were either chilling leisurely outside the building or passing by on the sidewalk.

Terri, who immediately started bobbing his head to the beat, chirped, "I'm really digging this song!"

Terry rolled his eyes. "I don't think there's a song out there that you don't dig."

Tugging my leather jacket tighter around me, I said, "Come on, let's head inside."

Walking up the path and through the doors that were propped open with wooden wedges, we were greeted by a neon directional sign that informed us that the restaurant and bar was on the main floor while the actual club and dance floor was on the second floor. While it was definitely informational, we simply could find our way to the dance floor simply from following the sound of the rich and enticing Latin music that was playing.

Upon reaching the second floor, I beamed at the red, orange, and yellow strobe lights that bathed the vast room in a warm glow, adding a spicy Latin flair to the otherwise casual atmosphere. The deejay certainly knew what he was doing because I felt myself bounce with every step that I took to the beat that was playing. About three dozen monsters occupied the spacious dance floor; some were staring at their feet as they tried their best to perform the basic cha-cha steps while others were clearly advanced in their skills judging by the advanced technique that they displayed.

"Wow," said Terry with his mouth agape, "there are a lot of monsters here."

"Don't worry about them," I assured him gently. "Tonight is about us having fun."

"True, but we can't have fun on a full bladder," Terri pointed out, biting his bottom lip uncomfortably.

Rolling his eyes for the second time that night, Terry said to his brother, "I told you we should have went before leaving."

I laughed and said, "There should be a restroom here somewhere. I'll go grab a drink while you two take care of, you know, business."

"Sounds good," said Terry before he and his twin disappeared into the crowd of dancing monsters.

After brushing the red pieces of ruffled taffeta that made up the hem of my sparkly, gold, and fitted salsa dress, I wandered over to the bar area that was occupied only by the bartender on duty and a familiar insect-like monster in an equally familiar-looking cardigan who was hunched over on the mahogany counter and had just requested another Blort. Shaking my head at the sheer coincidence of us selecting the same Friday night entertainment, I plopped myself onto the stool next to his, crossed my ankles, and sat up gracefully.

The bartender on duty, an olive-green cyclops with spiked fur and a black bowtie, immediately darted over to me with a flirty smile. "What can I get you, gorgeous?"

"I'll have a Blort please," I requested with a kind smile, pretending not to notice Javier's presence even though I could feel his eyes on me.

"Coming right up," the bartender replied with a wink before whipping out a clean glass from a shelf behind him and scooping up ice cubes from a freezer bin nearby.

Javier took the moment to speak up while the bartender was busy at work. "Well, well, are you following me, chica?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Rios," I replied, turning to smirk at him. "I'm here with a couple of monsters and neither of them are you."

"A couple, huh?" said Javier, arching an eyebrow in interest. "You've replaced me already?"

"Not yet," I confessed, "but should I?"

Javier shook his head. "Have I not proven to be great company?"

I shrugged, watching the bartender fill my glass with a soda gun. "You're alright."

Javier chuckled. "You just can't admit that you enjoy being around me, can you?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" I asked teasingly.

Sliding the chilled glass of sugary goodness towards me, the bartender said, "Holler if you need anything else, sweetheart."

"Will do," I answered with a nod of appreciation. "Thank you."

Passing Javier his own refilled glass, the bartender said, "Great moves out there by the way."

"Gracias," Javier replied, shrugging off the compliment.

Once the bartender walked off to serve another patron who had approached the bar, I eyed Javier in a curious manner. "Moves?"

"I was on the floor earlier," Javier explained before taking a big gulp of his Blort.

"You?" I questioned in surprise. "Dance?"

"Oh, don't look so shocked, chica," said Javier as he lowered his glass. "My name alone should have told you that the Latin beat runs through my veins."

"Funny," I remarked, "I thought scaring runs through your veins."

"Coffee too," Javier added before taking another gulp.

"I see," I began, scanning our surroundings, "so are the other RΩRs here too?"

Javier shook his head. "Nope, just me."

"Shocking," I gasped with an air of sarcasm. "I thought you lot only know how to travel in a group."

Javier laughed and said, "No, these Latin Nights hosted by Chili Steppers are my thing, not a RΩR thing."

I took a sip of my Blort, eyeing him suspiciously. "Does Johnny know you're here?"

"Nope," Javier replied simply.

Tilting my head slightly, I asked, "Doesn't he find it odd that you're always gone on Friday nights?"

Javier shook his head. "He thinks I'm at the campus gym."

"Why would you hide your whereabouts?" I asked in confusion.

"Don't want Johnny to think I'm slacking off," Javier explained, glancing down at his glass. "I've already got school and RΩR stuff to focus on. I don't want him to think that this would be distracting me from all of that."

I nodded, sensing that there was more to Javier's explanation that he refused to share, but did not press him for further details, given that I personally disliked when someone pushed me to open up about a matter before I was ready to. .

"I like to come here once a week to get away from it all," Javier confided in me. "The RΩRs are cool and all, but they don't really care for Latin dancing."

I smiled gently. "If it makes you feel better, I won't tell Johnny about it."

Javier shot me an appreciative smile. "Gracias, chica."

"Don't mention it," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Aside from you, only one other monster at MU knows that I can dance," Javier revealed, "and that's Steslicki."

"Violet?" I asked. "Why does she know?"

"She works at the MU fitness center," Javier explained, "so she knows who signs up for all their dance classes. When I ran into her earlier, she was so excited to tell me that my Latin Fusion class might be kicking off next week after all."

I choked on the sip of my drink that I had just taken. "What?"

Javier nodded, eyeing me knowingly. "Sí, apparently, she found this really beautiful and talented dancer who would be perfect to teach the classes. She says that her dancing is flawless and, get this, is studying to be a teacher."

I nodded slowly. "She must be something special then."

"She is," said Javier, his opinion laced with sincerity.

I smirked. "I take it you know her then?"

"I might," Javier answered with a sly grin that quickly faded, "so I was surprised when Violet said that she needed to think about it first before saying yes."

"Is that so?" I asked, continuing the charade.

"Sí," Javier replied. "Steslicki says that she takes her grades pretty seriously and doesn't want them to suffer by adding more to her plate."

"A valid reason," I simply remarked before taking another sip of my drink as casually as I could.

"I agree," Javier admitted, "but if she's smart and hardworking enough to get into MU, then I'm sure she can handle adding dance classes to her schedule."

I shrugged, running a claw along the rim of my glass. "Maybe she doesn't think she's qualified enough for the position?"

"Well, Steslicki has seen her dance with her own eye and says that she is more than qualified," Javier explained, "and I believe her. If she is who I think she is, I hope that she decides to share her talent with her students."

Looking from my glass to Javier, I shot him another curious gaze. "Why?"

"Because if she does, she'll be changing lives for the better," Javier explained with a tender smile.

"She will?" I asked skeptically.

"Sí," Javier answered without a moment of hesitation before declaring, "She changed mine the moment I met her."

I couldn't help but smile at his genuine response. "Well, I guess we'll have to see what happens then, won't we?"

"I guess so," said Javier, placing his now empty glass onto the bar counter and grinning at me. "In the meantime, why don't I take you for a spin on the dance floor?"

Before I could respond, I spotted Terri and Terry return to the dance floor, scanning it for a sign of my presence. Smiling coyly at an expectant Javier, I said, "Sorry, Rios, but my dance card is full for the rest of the night."

Javier feigned a groan of disappointment. "Damn, you sure know how to crush a monster's hopes, chica."

"Supposedly, I'm good at doing that," I quipped, pulling a few bills out of the pocket of my dress to cover not only my tab, but Javier's. "Drinks are on me tonight."

"Gracias," said Javier, "but what's the occasion?"

"Just my way of thanking you for this unexpected, but enlightening conversation," I responded before placing my unfinished drink onto the counter and getting back to my feet. "I'll see you back on campus, Rios."

"Oh, trust me, you will," Javier replied with a wink.

I shook my head with a laugh and strutted my way back onto the dance floor, making sure to swing my hips a bit with every step that I took. Teasing Javier had become quite the amusing hobby for me, especially knowing how he really felt about me, and I fully planned on seeing how long I could keep this hobby going.

"Hey, there you are!" Terri chirped once I popped into his line of sight.

"I never left," I said with an amused grin.

"Did you manage to have a drink?" Terri asked.

"Yep," I answered before mumbling, "among other things…"

"What did you say?" Terry asked, stretching his neck out more in an attempt to hear a bit better.

"Oh, nothing," I assured him and, in an attempt to change the topic, asked, "now how about we get started on that lesson?"

"Sounds good!" Terri agreed enthusiastically.

Terry nodded apprehensively. "Yeah, but can we take it slow? Unlike Terri, I'm terrible at picking up choreography quickly."

"No problem," I assured him, noting the cha-cha beat of the song that was playing. Holding my hands out to the twins with my palms facing downward, I said, "Okay, Terry, take my right hand into yours and, Terri, you wrap your arm around me and rest your hand just underneath my left shoulder blade."

The twins nodded and did exactly what they were instructed to do.

"Good, this is what we called the closed position," I explained. "It's the foundation for the Basic in Place steps." I glanced down to study the arrangement of their seven tentacles before looking up at Terri. "Okay, Terri, since you control the right half of the body, you'll be responsible for the three tentacles to the right of the body."

"Got it," Terri replied promptly.

"And Terry," I continued, glancing at his twin, "you'll control the three tentacles to the left of the body since you control the left half."

"Okay," Terry answered with a nod, "but what about our tentacle behind us?"

"That will serve as an extra appendage to keep you balanced," I explained. "It's an advantage really."

"Nice!" Terri exclaimed in satisfaction.

"Now, with that in mind, let's start with the Basic in Place steps," I suggested with a smile.

As I began walking Terri and Terry through the first selection of dance steps, my eyes met Javier's momentarily. I noticed how he was leaning leisurely against one of his arms, supported by the bar counter, studying me intensely with a smile. A single thought came to my mind at that moment.

Latin Fusion dance classes were going to be quite interesting.


	7. Theatre

Making Our Mark

Chapter 7: Theatre

* * *

I kicked off Saturday morning with a trip to Frat Row. On a typical weekend, I would sleep in and, given how exhausted I was from dancing the night away with Terri and Terry, I should have done so. However, I knew that I had to talk to Violet as soon as possible if we wanted to get the ball rolling on the Latin Fusion dance classes that were scheduled to begin the following week. Plus, being me, it was difficult to get any sleep knowing that something was on my plate.

Slugma Slugma Kappa's house was located between Slugma Oozma Python's and Python Nu Kappa's. It was a three-floor building of brick and concrete, modest in size, with curtain-covered windows, a full bike rack, and a paved driveway with a basketball hoop on one side and a hockey net on the other. The sorority's giant purple letters were plastered just above the doorway for the entire Greek community to see. It pretty much screamed athletic pride.

As I approached the front door to the house and raised a hand to knock on it, it quickly opened and I immediately smacked myself mentally for having such terrible timing.

Percy Boleslaw was standing in the doorway, his JΘX jacket hanging over one arm, looking mortified at having been caught doing what many female monsters have done before after spending the night with Johnny back home: the walk of shame.

Keeping my gaze on his eyes rather than on his exposed chest, I said, "Good morning, Percy."

Percy cleared his throat and replied, "Danica," by way of acknowledgement before hastily stepping around me and walking rather briskly towards what I assumed was his frat house.

I cautiously turned back to the doorway in time to see Violet appear, clad in a fluffy white robe and looking shocked at the sight of me.

"Danica!" she gasped, tightening the string of her robe in pure embarrassment.

"Morning, Violet," I greeted, feeling a tinge of guilt in my bones. "Sorry for the bad timing."

"Honestly, your timing could have been worse if you had showed up fifteen minutes earlier," Violet pointed out with a smile.

"I could have gone my whole life not knowing that," I told her with a shudder and a laugh.

"Heh, sorry," said Violet before clearing her throat and stepping aside. "Come on in."

I nodded and entered the house, specifically its foyer with lavender-painted walls, a hardwood floor, and a staircase leading up to the second level of the building. An open closet revealed coats, jerseys, and various sports gear hanging inside while the white shoe racks held several pairs of roller skates. Hanging proudly on the walls were shiny plaques, hooks of polished medals, and shelves of glimmering trophies, all showcasing the athletic accomplishments of all of the Slugma Slugma Kappa sisters who had been initiated since the sorority's founding. Quite a number of them, I noted, were earned by Violet.

Speaking of Violet, she ended up leading me down a hallway and into what looked like the dining area of the sorority house. The walls of this room were also painted lavender and the floor was also made of hardwood. The rectangular oak table in the center of the room, complete with four chairs and a long bench, appeared to seat six. Sitting atop the table was a thick binder and a manila folder.

Taking a seat closest to the files, Violet looked at me and asked, "I assume you're here because you made a decision?"

I nodded with a smile as I seated myself across from her. "Yeah, you have yourself a dance instructor."

"I'm so glad to hear that!" said Violet, beaming with happiness. "Thank you!"

"No, thank _you_ for the opportunity," I replied gratefully, "so how would you like me to prepare?"

"Well, there is some paperwork that you would need to fill out first," Violet explained, sliding the manila folder over to me. "Inside, you will find a copy of the contract. Take the time to read it over and sign it when you're finished."

Opening the folder, I came across the stapled set of documents that Violet was referring to and scanned it carefully, noting the details of the job description, the start and end dates of my position, the list of my responsibilities as a dance instructor, the schedule of my classes, and my salary. After verifying that everything seemed to be on the up and up, I accepted the pen that Violet had passed me and signed my name with a flourish on the dotted line, topping the 'i' in my name with my signature star.

"Thank you," said Violet as I handed the contract back to her, "now the next document in that folder should be an application for employment at Monsters University."

Returning my gaze to the folder, I picked up the document that Violet had mentioned and noticed that half of it was already filled out with Violet's personal information.

"I have already completed the staff section, so all you need to do is complete the applicant section with your personal information and submit it to the Department of Monster Resources," Violet instructed. "The sooner you get this in, the sooner the university can issue you an employee number, the sooner you can get on the payroll, and the sooner you can get paid."

"I'll take care of it first thing today," I promised.

"I trust you will," said Violet with a smile. "Inside the folder, you will also find a copy of the dance class schedule and studio locations, with your classes and studio locations highlighted in yellow. I've also put my contact information in there, so you can get a hold of me if you have any questions or concerns."

"This is very helpful, thank you," I said kindly as I closed the folder. "How would you like for me to go about preparing for the classes?"

"However you see fit," Violet answered cheerfully. "I trust your expertise. You already know which levels you're teaching and when. All I ask is that you show up about half an hour before each class to set up any equipment that you need and to ensure that your studio is ready to go in time."

I nodded. "That I can do."

"Great," said Violet. "As your schedule says, I've already booked Studio D at the MU fitness center for the Latin Fusion classes for the rest of the school year. Once I shower and get dressed, I'll be heading out to notify everyone who signed up for the classes that they will indeed be starting this week."

"Sounds perfect," I said, standing up with the folder and pen in hand. "Well, if that's all there is to be discussed, I'll get going and let you go about your day."

Violet nodded with a smile. "Alright, if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"I know," I said, smirking at the cyclops, "that's why I'll be coming by to speak to you anytime in the late afternoon from this point forward."

Violet blushed as she stood up and accompanied me back to the front door through which she showed me out.

Walking back up Frat Row and towards East Campus, I pulled out the application of employment, rested it again one of the binders that was in my bag, and proceeded to fill out the applicant section of the form, including information like my name, my birthday, and my social insurance number. Now that I had official documentation in hand, the idea of teaching the Latin Fusion dance classes was quickly becoming reality. I was eager to get started on planning the first week of classes after my trip to the university's Department of Monster Resources.

When I looked up for a moment to make sure that I was not about to bump into anyone or anything, I saw a notice board outside of the Gamma Roar Roar frat house, causing me to drift towards it in curiosity. I spotted a particular red and black poster, advertising the first of six professional-caliber plays put on by Monsters University's young theatre artists. Recalling an assignment due for one of my courses next week, I figured that seeing and writing about this play would cross that off of my growing to-do list.

"¿Que pasa, chica?"

I jumped with a startle and turned to glare at the monster who had suddenly popped up next to me. "Geez, Rios, you scared me!"

"Good," said Javier with a satisfied grin. "I'm a Scaring major after all."

"I never would have guessed," I quipped sarcastically as I turned my attention back to the eerie-looking poster.

"What are you looking at?" Javier asked.

"Just checking out when the campus theatre is putting on their next show," I answered, inspecting the table of show times for the next two weeks during which the play would be showcased.

"Thinking of seeing one?" Javier inquired.

"Have to," I told him. "My Pedagogy of the Arts course this semester has an assignment that requires me to write a critique on an arts performance."

"So what's playing?" Javier asked, turning his attention to the same poster that I was looking at.

"'Love and Monster Remains'," I answered. "Supposedly, it's a critically-acclaimed dark play of comedy and drama."

"Intriguing," Javier remarked with genuine interest.

"I'll say," I agreed. "It should be an interesting piece to write about."

"Well, if you're free tonight," said Javier, "why don't we check it out together?"

"We?" I questioned, eyeing Javier skeptically. "You're willing to actually sit through a play that's nearly two and a half hours long?"

"Hey, I'm all for two and a half hours of comedy, darkness, and drama," said Javier with a grin. "Plus, you'll be there, so it'll be a good time."

I pressed a finger to my chin in mock thought. "Hmm, two and a half hours of sitting next to you. Is it even worth the A?"

"I'll even spring for popcorn," Javier added in a sing-song voice.

I laughed at his proposal. "You sound like you're trying to bribe me."

"More like trying to catch your attention in a culinary fashion," Javier corrected with the eloquence of a skilled orator, "so what do you say?"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Fine, I'm in." Looking at the poster again, I said, "Play starts at eight, so let's meet at the campus theater at quarter to eight."

"It's a date then," said Javier, winking at me. "Later, chica."

I watched with a stunned look as he walked off in the direction of the RΩR house and shook my head.

 _What the hell did I just agree to?_

* * *

The rest of my Saturday morning and afternoon proved to be quite productive. After stopping by the Department of Monster Resources to drop off my completed application of employment, I spent the rest of the morning brainstorming lesson ideas for the first week of dance classes. I stopped to take my lunch break in the cafeteria before returning to my dorm to outline and finalize the lesson plans, deciding that the beginner class would be learning a cha-cha and hip-hop combo, the intermediate class would be trying their claws at a jive and foxtrot number, and the advanced class would be challenged with an intense paso doble and tango fusion.

The alarm that I had set on my clock was what snapped me out of choreography mode and reminded me that I had an hour left to grab dinner if I wanted to make it in time to purchase tickets for the show. After another quick meal in the cafeteria, I returned to my dorm to freshen up and make sure that my messenger bag was equipped with a couple of pens, a multiple-page notebook, and my wallet. With a quick glance in my full-body mirror to ensure that none of my dinner got stuck in my teeth, I left my dorm.

Walking into the Angelina Jawlie Dramatic Art wing of the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I was greeted by an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement. There were about a dozen monsters already in the lobby; some were in line by the ticket booth to purchase tickets while a few were crowded around the vibrant promotional posters on display that were advertising the shows for the upcoming semester.

Since Javier towered over most monsters, I easily spotted him casually leaning against the railing of a staircase that led to the second floor of the building, sporting his RΩR cardigan with pride. I smiled and proceeded to walk towards him.

Javier's eyes lit up when he saw me approach him. He grinned and said, "Thanks for not standing me up."

"Well, a big chunk of my grade in Pedagogy of the Arts rests on this critique," I explained, pulling my notebook out of my bag, "so I would hate to miss this show."

Javier nodded with a smirk. "Whatever you say, chica."

Looking up at him, I asked, "Shall we get our tickets?"

"Already did," said Javier before flicking his wrist to reveal a pair of orange tickets between his claws.

"Wow, you waste no time," I remarked with an air of surprise as I slid my hand back down to my bag. "What do I owe you?"

"Only the pleasure of your company," Javier assured me with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Raising my eyebrows at him, I asked, "Are you trying to pay me to like you?"

"I don't have to when you already do," Javier pointed out with a sly grin. "You're here tonight, aren't you?"

"Again, for the assignment," I insisted, but a part of me was attempting to strongly convince me that that was a lie. "You really didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to," said Javier, handing me one of the tickets.

Taking the ticket, I asked him coyly, "So, does that offer for free popcorn still stand?"

Javier nodded with a grin and gestured for me to follow him towards a pair of open doors nearby that led into the theatre. Since we were students, we received a discount on tickets to on-campus theatrical productions, so the monster who greeted us by the open doorway asked to see our student IDs to verify that we were indeed eligible for the discounted tickets. Once she was satisfied with our identification, she handed us two copies of the program in exchange for our tickets and we walked through the doorway.

A squid-like monster was waiting with hopeful eyes from his place behind a long table of snacks and beverages. He accepted the few bills that Javier had forked over in exchange for a large bag of popcorn and two cans of Blort. He took the snacks into his arms and we walked through another open doorway into the actual theatre.

About a fourth of the five hundred seats in the dimly-lit theatre were filled with monsters. I recognized a few of the monsters from my Pedagogy of the Arts class scattered around the room, but they were ones with whom I did not really interact.

"Any place in particular that you want to sit?" Javier asked me.

I paused to consider the available seating in the room before I answered, "Let's sit in the middle where we can be close to the stage, yet be far away enough from it to take in the whole production."

Javier nodded and led me up a nearby set of steps. When we got to a row in the middle of the center section of seats, he gestured for me to go first. He then edged his way along the empty row, following me from behind, and seated himself next to me in the very middle of the row.

Making myself comfortable in the seat to his left, I asked, "This good?"

"Yeah, looks like a good view to me," Javier replied, passing me one of the Blort cans.

I accepted the can with a mumble of thanks and slipped it into the cup holder to my left. I glanced back up at the open stage, complete with pieces of white and wooden furniture, all bathed in a soft glow of blue light. A simple layout, but one that propelled me to start writing.

Feeling myself smiling broadly, I flipped open the notebook on my lap to a brand new page, grabbed a pen from my purse, and immediately started jotting down my thoughts – observations, interpretations, and questions - that had crossed my mind

 _An open performance space, white multi-level stage, black backdrop…contrast?_

"Writing already?" Javier interrupted with a chuckle. "The show hasn't even started yet."

"I know," I said without taking my eyes off of the page, "but there's so much to write about the stage itself."

"Really?" Javier asked, his voice rising an octave in interest.

"Oh, yeah," I replied, scribbling down more of my thoughts. "For instance, there seems to be symbolism behind the setting."

"How so?" Javier asked curiously.

"Well, you don't just throw furniture on a stage without a purpose behind it," I explained, pointing to one area of the stage with my pen. "Look at the futon and coffee table there. What does that look like to you?"

Javier looked to where I was pointing and shrugged. "A living room?"

"Probably," I agreed, jabbing my pen towards another set of furniture on a higher level of the stage, "and see that table and those two chairs?"

"Is that a kitchen or a dining room?" Javier asked, his gaze having shifted to the furniture in question.

"It could be either," I told him, "or it could be a restaurant of some kind."

"Why have two different locations on one stage at the same time?" Javier asked with an air of confusion. "Wouldn't that complicate the play?"

"If executed properly, I don't think so," I answered as I resumed my note-taking. "I'm looking forward to seeing how this play unfolds."

"You and me both, chica," Javier murmured before flipping open his copy of the program.

I was not entirely sure how long Javier and I sat in silence (he was busy reading the program and I was pouring my thoughts onto paper), but before we knew it, a pink serpent-like monster shut the doors to the theatre and cheerfully reminded us of the duration of the play and when intermission would be. The lights dimmed, enveloping the theatre in total darkness, and silence fell among the crowd.

* * *

The play kicked off with an introduction of the six main characters before the play unfolded scene by scene. As the play progressed, so did the speed of my writing. It seemed that each scene was more intriguing than the one before it, keeping me on the edge of my seat and my pen on the paper. Every scene was characterized by a different theme or a mix of themes, making the scenes that followed impossible to predict, but that was part of the thrill.

 _Comedy, darkness, thriller, love, purpose, candid, desire…_

Occasionally, I would steal a glance over at Javier who, to my utter astonishment, was sitting upright in his seat, completely engrossed by the events transpiring. It appeared that he was actually enjoying the play, which made me smile for two reasons: he was having fun and his fascination with the play gave me the freedom to take notes.

As I watched a spirited argument erupt between Candy and Jerri, I resumed my writing. I was very impressed by the actors and the manners in which they took on the personalities of the characters with ease and brought them to life. Some were alike in a lot of ways, but also exhibited qualities that made each of them different. Their attitude, behaviours, and actions elicited so many feelings from within me, which only an excellent performance could really do.

 _Candy…headstrong…confident…torn…vulnerable?_

 _Jerri…crazy…obsessive…feelings of sympathy and hatred…possible love disorder?_

 _Cole…power…sharp…witty…vulnerable?_

A sudden light pressure on my left hand caused me to shift my attention from my notes to the armrest separating my seat from Javier's and I was surprised to find one of Javier's hands gripping mine lightly. Looking up at him, I saw that his attention was still on the former lovers bickering onstage. I wondered whether he took my hand out of anxiousness (the argument between Candy and Jerri was getting even more heated after all) or in an attempt to be more affectionate. Regardless of what the purpose behind the gesture was, I responded in the only manner that seemed appropriate for the situation: I turned my hand over, intertwining my fingers with his claws, and squeezed back.

Javier peeled his eyes from the play to me and I saw the hint of amusement within them.

Looking back up at him, I asked, "You good?"

"Never better," Javier answered with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes playfully and turned my attention back to the show.

* * *

I was still flipping through the several pages of notes in my book as Javier and I were leaving the theatre and then the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities itself. I did not bump into anyone by accident on the way out, mainly because I could feel Javier's hands on my shoulders as he was guiding me around other monsters and any obstacles in our path.

A dimly-lit campus, a contrast to the dark sky above, met us the moment we stepped foot outside. The temperature had apparently fallen while we were inside watching the play because it was a tad chillier than it was earlier in the evening.

"I must admit, chica," Javier spoke up, "that was a pretty awesome play."

"I thought so too," I agreed, finally closing my notebook with a satisfied grin.

"It seems like you have plenty of notes to refer to when writing your critique," Javier remarked, nodding his head at my notebook.

I smiled as I tucked my notebook into my bag. "I think I will be fine."

"Fine?" Javier scoffed with a chuckle. "I was worried you would need another notebook."

I laughed. "I was close to needing another one, but the play fortunately came to an end."

"But tonight hasn't yet," Javier pointed out. "Let me walk you back to your dorm."

"Thanks, but I can manage," I assured him. "It's not too far from here."

"I know, but I can't have you walking back to your dorm by yourself in the dark, no matter how safe this campus is," Javier explained gently.

"My hero," I remarked sarcastically.

"No, just a gentleman," Javier corrected with a grin. Holding an elbow out to me, he said, "Shall we?"

I paused before I shrugged and took his arm.

The walk back to the dorm building was spent chatting about the play, sharing our takes on different aspects of the performance. I talked about the points that I could remember from the numerous bullet points that I had jotted down over the course of the evening such as the behaviours of the characters and how what they yearned for reflected the various themes of the play. At the mention of the characters, Javier remarked with a laugh that aside from his preference for the romantic company of men, David reminded him a lot of Johnny. I could not help but laugh at that in agreement.

As the dorm building appeared in the distance, Javier said, "Well, here we are."

"Looks like it," I simply said it response.

"I had a great time with you, chica," Javier added, gazing down at me.

I let out a light laugh. "We just saw a play, Rios."

"Doesn't matter where you go or what you do," Javier explained. "It's who you're with that matters the most."

"You were with me," I pointed out bluntly.

"Exactly," said Javier as we reached the main entrance of the building "Even if we were watching grass grow, it still would have been a good time."

I arched my eyebrows at him. "You're easy to please, aren't you?"

"You make it easy," Javier told me fondly as he released his arm from mine and took my hand in his.

I cleared my throat at the sensation that I felt from our hands being conjoined again and said, "Well, thank you for walking me back."

"De nada, chica," Javier replied, bringing my hand up to his lips. With his eyes locked on mine, he kissed the back of it tenderly and said, "Bueñas noches."

I was too surprised by the unexpected gesture to reply, which was alright since he simply winked at me before turning around and beginning the short trek to Frat Row, not once looking back at me. He held his head high, his entire demeanor exuding confidence, causing me to shake my head in disbelief.

Usually, when a guy made a move on me, I would make it clear that their advances were not wanted. In the past, I had physically repelled guys for invading my personal space, grabbing my hand, and even trying to kiss me. Javier did all three in a span of one evening.

 _So why did I let him walk away with his entire body intact?_


	8. Gossip

Making Our Mark

Chapter 8: Gossip

* * *

"You went out on a date with Javier?"

I quickly hushed Brynn whose eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. Quickly glancing at our surroundings - shelves of raw meat at a supermarket near campus - I exhaled with relief that there were not any monsters passing nearby who could have heard her obnoxiously-loud outburst.

Brynn laughed and said at a lower volume, "That would explain the word on the street then."

"Come again?" I said, pushing her to elaborate on the campus's latest gossip.

"Apparently, a few monsters spotted Javier walking arm-in-arm with some girl last night," Brynn explained, giving me a sly look. "Now that I know that girl was you, I can't say I'm surprised."

I scoffed and said, "I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Honestly, anything involving the RΩRs is worth gossiping about, especially if one of them is single and is seen out with a girl," Brynn pointed out. "Everyone is wondering who Javier's mystery girl is."

I gulped nervously; hanging around Javier was like parading around campus with a giant sign that screamed my name in neon lights. I wanted to be known for what I could achieve through hard work, not for my name and certainly not for being the rumoured arm candy of a RΩR. "Goblin, Brynn, you didn't tell anyone it was me, did you?"

Brynn smiled gently. "Honey, I love a juicy piece of gossip as much as the next monster, but you're my best friend and I know how you feel about being in the limelight for the wrong reasons. I would never do that to you."

"Well, thank you," I said gratefully, breathing a sigh of relief. "I appreciate that you respect my wishes."

"But you must give me the details about the date anyway," Brynn insisted keenly. "Did you guys kiss?"

"Okay, first of all," I began, "he said it was a date and then left before I could correct him. Second of all, we just went to see Love and Monster Remains on campus."

"A horror show?" Brynn murmured in contemplation. "That doesn't sound so romantic. Well, unless you grip onto him at the scary bits."

Rolling my eyes, I explained, "It's actually more comedy and drama. The actual horror was realizing that I was able to sit next to him for nearly two and a half hours without slapping him."

"So you two actually sat together, for nearly two and a half hours, watching a play," said Brynn, pausing now and then to ensure that she listed every detail of the previous night's events correctly.

I groaned, reaching for a large pre-packaged selection of ground beef on a shelf. "Look, I needed to write a critique of a theatre performance for a class assignment and he wanted to see the show after finding out I was going. No biggie."

"Huge biggie!" Brynn corrected me excitedly. "Do you know how many freshmen, let alone monsters in general, would kill to be on a date with a RΩR?"

"I don't know, but I won't be surprised if the number is in the hundreds or thousands," I told her honestly.

"Damn, a date with a RΩR," Brynn sighed predictably. "You lucky gal."

"He said it was a date," I reminded her, tossing the meat into the basket dangling from my wrist, "not me."

"Okay, let me ask you something else," Brynn began. "Did he pay?"

"He did," I answered as we proceeded down an aisle that contained shelves with boxes and bags of dried grains like rice and pasta, "but I don't see what that has to do with – "

"It was a date then," Brynn interrupted, smiling triumphantly.

"Just because he paid doesn't make it a date," I explained, inspecting the shelves for the dried spaghetti that I wanted. "This is not the nineteenth century, Brynn. A guy and a girl can hang out with one of them covering the bill and having it not be a date."

Appearing to have ignored my explanation, Brynn asked, "Did you have fun?"

I simply shrugged. "It was a good play and it put me in the mood to write this morning, so I finished my critique assignment right after I woke up."

Brynn giggled. "You know, it's okay to admit that you actually like spending time with him."

Pausing to stare at my friend, I asked, "And why would I do that?"

"Because you like him," Brynn answered as though the answer was obvious.

"He's good company," I admitted as a rebuttal.

"Oh come on, you're going to the RΩR house this afternoon," Brynn reminded me. "You obviously want to be around him more."

I sighed. "I'm going to the RΩR house because I promised my mom that I wouldn't let Johnny live off of takeout and cafeteria food. I figured I might as well treat his entire frat a home-cooked meal while I was at it."

Brynn shook her head and laughed. "Trying to impress Mister Chiseled Abs with your cooking skills, eh?"

"The dude has a name, Brynn," I stressed in a chiding tone.

"Hey, don't scold me for not calling him by his name when you can't even do it either," Brynn indicated.

"Only because I choose not to," I explained, tossing some packages of dried spaghetti noodles into the basket.

"Why do you do that?" Brynn inquired.

I shrugged in response. "He started it. He calls me 'chica', but never my actual name."

"Yet, you call him by his last name," Brynn murmured with a smirk. "It's a start, I suppose."

"To what?" I questioned in confusion.

"To the start of a fabulous friendship," Brynn answered optimistically, "and maybe more down the line."

"I can see us being friends," I affirmed easily, "but I don't see that leading to anything more."

"Well, don't rule that out just yet," Brynn encouraged me gently. "After all, you went from disliking Javier to tolerating his presence all in the span of a month. Who knows how you will view him come the end of October?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," I said as we headed over to the next aisle where the condiments were shelved.

Brynn exhaled and said, "Look, it's obvious that Javier is into you and considering how much effort he's putting into spending time with you, it's clear that he wants to get you know you better, to see the beautiful personality that matches your outer beauty. He must not be doing that bad of a job if you're warming up to him."

I paused to reflect on the past month, particularly on all of the moments that involved interactions with Javier – from the campus tour to our Latin Night conversation – and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself smiling more than frowning. "I suppose there isn't any harm in learning even more about him."

"There you go," said Brynn with a kind smile. "All I'm suggesting is to keep your mind open. Don't close the door on what could be until you're absolutely certain of how you really feel about him."

I simply nodded silently and quickly changed the subject to our study plans for upcoming midterms, a topic that I felt warranted more discussion than whatever was going on between Javier and me.

* * *

After accompanying Brynn back to Frat Row, we went our separate ways; Brynn skipped off cheerfully towards the Slugma Slugma Kappa sorority house with the air of one having completed a successful mission while I made a beeline for the Roar Omega Roar fraternity house with two full paper bags. Miraculously, I was able to make it onto the porch without breaking an ankle, walking into a pole, or spilling the groceries.

A roar of objection, no pun intended, rang out from inside the house and I wondered if, like the morning before, I had chosen a poor time to show up. I hesitated for a moment before jutting out my bent elbow and using it to knock a few times. The sound of footsteps approaching the door was heard before it opened.

"Well, this is a surprise," Johnny remarked when he saw my face peeking out from behind the bags. We had not spoken since our spirited argument by the troll bridge a few weeks back. The grin on his face seemed to indicate that the time apart turned out to be a successful cooling period. Whether he reluctantly accepted my friendship with the Oozma Kappa fraternity members or decided not to openly voice his disdain towards it remained to be seen.

"Shouldn't be since I go here now too," I shot back, "and as a result, Mom made me promise to drop by now and then to make sure you get a home-cooked meal."

"Well, who am I to say no?" said Johnny, stepping aside willingly so I could enter the house.

Stepping into the living room, I noticed that most of the RΩRs occupied it. Chet was sitting in front of the couch, controller in claw, yelling loudly at the video game on the television screen. Sitting on the couch was his opponent, the gurgling green triclops with a torn RΩR shirt, swerving violently to the side with his own controller. Leaning over the back of the couch, watching the game with immense excitement and donning a new RΩR jacket, was Sulley who I remembered from the night of the JΘX party during Rush Week. Lounging on the armchair, immersed in a textbook, was the maroon-coloured monster with two grey horns on either side of his head and one where his nose would normally be.

"You already know Chet and Sulley, right?" said Johnny, appearing by my side after shutting the door. "Bruiser's the one playing with Chet and Chip is the one reading."

Bruiser, Chet, and Sulley were too focused on the game to realize that their names had been mentioned, but Chip looked up when he heard his and simply waved at me.

"Kitchen's over there," Johnny continued, jabbing a claw in the direction of a mahogany archway before studying me carefully. "I don't suppose you need a hand, do you?"

I simply smiled. "I love you, Johnny, but if you want your precious frat house to stay standing, I suggest you leave the cooking to me."

"Don't say I didn't offer," said Johnny with a hearty chuckle. "I'll be in my room."

I nodded as Johnny made his way up the stairs.

"Incoming spiky shell!" Sulley yelled, completely unaware of everything going around him but the game.

Shaking my head, I walked into the kitchen and was immediately taken aback by how immaculate it was for a frat house; all of the counters and the massive island were topped with polished granite, all of the appliances from the little microwave to the giant refrigerator were stainless steel, and all of the cabinets were constructed out of mahogany just like most of the other wooden fixtures around the house. Dangling from the ceiling was a large rack of hanging pots and pans.

Ready to focus on the culinary tasks ahead of me, I placed the bags onto the kitchen island, so I could wash my hands. Once I dried them on a dishcloth hanging over the oven door handle, I pulled open a nearby drawer and pulled out a ladle. Before I knew it, motivation kicked in and I began tackling my to-do list.

By the time Chip entered the kitchen to grab a Blort from the refrigerator, dinner preparation was in full swing. On the stove, a rondeau full of spaghetti noodles, water, a dollop of sunflower oil, and a dash of salt was boiling next to a simmering sauce pan of tomato sauce, cooked ground beef, and a selection of herbs. Baking in the oven were thirty-five balls of breaded trout and a secret mixture of spices that remained a Worthington family secret. There was also a tray of dough in the oven that was rising to become what I hoped was a long and flaky baguette.

I looked up from stirring the sauce to smile and wave at him, causing him to smile back in acknowledgement before disappearing back into the living room from which the victorious whoop of Bruiser rang out regarding the outcome of yet another round of video game racing. I also noted the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and I figured it was Johnny coming back down to whine about his hunger and to ask when dinner would be ready.

Instead, a voice suavely asked, "What's a beautiful monster doing in my kitchen?"

Glancing up at the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room, I spotted Javier leaning against it, clearly checking me out and I smirked. "I'm the only monster in here, Rios."

"I know," said Javier, smiling cheekily as he walked into the room. "I stand behind my words, chica."

I rolled my eyes playfully and asked, "What do you mean by _your_ kitchen?"

Javier scoffed. "You don't think Johnny is the one who does the cooking around here, do you?"

"Of course not," I answered with a laugh. "The poor puffball can't even boil water."

"Tis a shame indeed," Javier murmured, sounding as though he was commenting on the weather.

I smiled. "But to answer your first question, now that I go to MU, I promised my mom that I would stop by here to make sure that Johnny gets a taste of home every now and then."

"What a good sister you are," Javier remarked, inspecting the stovetop.

"Thanks, can you remind Johnny of that?" I asked as I went back to stirring the sauce. "He tends to forget."

Javier laughed. "Only if I can have a bite of whatever it is you're cooking right now."

"Once it's finished, you can," I promised him. "I figured I would cook for the entire frat while I was at it."

"Muchos gracias," said Javier with an air of satisfaction and gratitude before asking, "Anything I can do to help?"

Glancing up at him in surprise, I asked, "You want to help?"

"If you need it," said Javier with a smile. "I don't mind."

I paused to consider the offer of help before murmuring, "You did say that this is _your_ kitchen, right?"

"Sí," Javier answered proudly, "so I can guarantee that the house will still be standing by the end of the night."

I laughed before saying, "I'm sure the rest of the frat would appreciate that."

"For sure," Javier agreed, "so what can I do?"

Between the two of us, it did not take long for the dinner to be prepared. Once the spaghetti noodles were softened enough, Javier strained and then divided them onto the seven large plates that I had arranged on the kitchen island. Around that time, the kitchen timer had gone off, signalling that the oven's contents had finished baking, so I slipped on some oven mitts and removed the baking trays from the oven, setting them gently on the heat-resistant table mats that I had set out on the marble island earlier.

A growl of outrage from Chet over the loss of another race caused Javier and I to exchange amused looks as we continued to work like a well-oiled machine. Using a bread knife, Javier cut the baguette into fourteen even slices and brushed a garlic and herb butter mixture that I had prepared earlier over them. Meanwhile, I used a pair of tongs to arrange five balls of fish on each plate. Occasionally, I would catch eyes with Javier, who would simply wink at me, causing me to laugh and shake my head.

After washing up, Javier took the initiative to take dining utensils, glasses, a pitcher of slimonade from the refrigerator, and a set of napkins into the dining room to set the table. I busied myself by ladling the tomato sauce over each of the plates, humming a merry tune to myself. Once finished, I began arranging two slices of garlic bread onto each of the plates.

"This really looks amazing," Javier praised, after re-entering the kitchen and casting an impressed gaze over the hot dishes sitting before him.

"Couldn't have done it without you," I told him, sprinkling grated parmesan cheese over the plates. "Seriously, thank you for the help and for not burning down the house."

"De nada," Javier replied with a genial laugh. "Want me to get the guys?"

"No need," I answered before raising my voice and hollering, "RΩRs, dinner!"

Javier stumbled backwards, eyes widened in bewilderment, as the sound of footsteps descending the staircase, as well as the sound of murmurs in the living room, followed my call.

I simply shrugged at him when I noticed the expression written all over his face. "Teacher voice."

Javier nodded, took a moment to recover, and collected four of the steaming plates in his hands while I took hold of two and balanced the last one on the crook of my right arm. We walked into the dining room where a square mahogany table with eight chairs, two on each side, were set up under a simple hanging light. Atop the table were eight place mats, each complete with a napkin, a glass of slimonade, and a set of utensils.

Johnny entered the dining room, followed by Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Sulley just as Javier and I were placing a dish onto each mat.

"Mmm," Chet hummed, taking a few sniffs of the air, "something smells good!"

"I should hope so," I said, straightening back up, "or else we're ordering pizza tonight."

"Man, I'm starving!" Bruiser exclaimed, seating himself and eyeing his plate with piggy eyes.

"What do you call this?" Chip asked curiously from his place across the table from Chet.

"Trout balls on spaghetti with a side of garlic and herb butter on fresh baguette slices," I answered and smiled kindly when Javier pulled out a chair for me. "Thanks."

Javier simply nodded his head in acknowledgement before taking the seat in between mine and Johnny's, so that he was facing Sulley, who was seated between Chet and Bruiser.

Once everyone was present at the table, I said, "Well, no sense in letting the food get cold. Enjoy!"

The five RΩRs and one RΩR-in-the-making did not need to be told twice and immediately dug into their meals in different manners. Bruiser and Chet were like barn animals and attacked theirs quite viciously while Chip and Sulley simply shoveled some spaghetti into their mouths. Johnny and Javier were a bit classier about the whole dining experience, Goblin bless their mothers, as they chose to spin their spaghetti around their forks before eating it.

Johnny was the first to speak up after one bite. "Nicely done, sis. Tastes just like Mom's."

"It should since it _is_ Mom's recipe," I pointed out with a smug grin.

"This is really amazing!" Bruiser exclaimed through a mouthful of spaghetti.

"So good," Chip agreed before jabbing his fork into a troutball.

I laughed. "You guys act like Rios is a terrible cook."

Javier swallowed and said, "I am now after tasting what you made."

"You guys shouldn't be giving me all of the credit," I said, smiling at Javier. "I had help."

"Nah, I just followed orders," Javier insisted, giving me a light nudge. "This chica is the reason why you guys can actually digest what you're eating."

"I gotta hand it to you, freshman," said Chet, "this is actually good."

As annoying as Chet could be at times, I appreciated his praise. I exhaled and allowed myself to relax and enjoy not only the meal, but also the company of the other RΩRs and of the RΩR-in-the-making. I obviously knew Johnny all my life and was more familiar with Javier than I was at the beginning of the month, so this was a great opportunity to get to know the other monsters of the fraternity who they both spent so much time with.

Like Javier, Chet was in his junior year and a Scaring major. It was obvious that he had a tendency to get overly excited over the littlest of things, like the minced parsley in the garlic butter, and part of me wondered if I should suggest that he be tested for drugs. At one point during dinner, he gushed about the herbs that made the trout balls so savoury, only to have Johnny smack him upside the head in order to get him to shut up and to stop showing his chewed up food to the entire table.

Chip, too, was a Scaring major, but the only sophomore in the fraternity. During dinner, he seemed very reserved, opting to eat his meal silently and just listen to everyone else's conversations about scaring and Greek life. It was not until I turned to him to inquire about his hobbies when he finally started to speak up; turns out he was a big sports fanatic and was a proud member of the Monsters University intramural basketball team.

Bruiser, whose real name was actually Reggie, was the most difficult of the fraternity brothers to comprehend whenever he spoke because his words were often muffled by his heavy and rather abhorrent slobbering. All that I could really make out from his responses to my questions was that he was also a freshman and a Scaring major with a love for video games and food.

Sulley, like Bruiser, was a freshman and a Scaring major. However, any talk that I had with him made me extremely uncomfortable because it was very one-sided; he would use any conversation with me to brag about how he came from a long line of Scarers and how he was going to ace the first round of midterms coming up without doing any studying. He also took any opportunity to wink at me and click his teeth together in a way that he thought was charming and sexy, but they did nothing more than make me shiver and infuriate Javier who was glaring at him menacingly from across the table.

Before I knew it, everyone's plates were wiped clean and I found myself seated on a stool by the kitchen island, watching Javier rinse the dinnerware in the sink and load them into the dishwasher. Despite my willingness to help with the cleanup, he insisted that he do it since I was not only the major driving force behind the meal, but also the guest.

Johnny leaned against the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room and said to me, "You do realize that you're going to have to come over more than once a week to cook, right?"

"Don't push it, Johnny," I warned him, eyeing him carefully. "I'm doing this out of the goodness of my own heart and because Mom asked. Tick me off and I'll see to it that you starve."

"If you say so," says Johnny, the doubt evident in his voice, "but if you need any ideas for, say next weekend, I'm craving something Greek."

"Greek sounds good!" Chet piped up from his spot in front of the open refrigerator.

"Chet," Javier chided, looking up from the sink, "our lovely guest cooked dinner and I cleared the table. The least you can do is take out that pile of garbage over there."

I gasped in outrage. "Rios, how dare you call my brother garbage?"

Johnny growled, "I think he meant the trash can, sis."

"I know," I said with a laugh. "I just couldn't help myself."

"Ha, ha," Johnny mumbled sarcastically, glaring at a snickering Javier.

Chet grumbled as he scuttled towards the back door with the unwanted cargo in his claws, pushing the refrigerator door closed on the way out.

"Don't say that I never defended you though," I said to Johnny with an innocent smile.

Johnny grumbled incoherently and sauntered out of the kitchen, presumably to join Reggie, Chip, and Sulley in the living room.

"What a sweet guy," I remarked with feigned admiration.

Javier chuckled, turning back to the sink. "You enjoy pushing his buttons, don't you?"

"It's one of my favourite hobbies," I quipped.

"Go easy on him though, okay?" Javier pleaded lightly. "I actually have to live with him for the rest of the school year."

I turned to shake my head at him. "Begging doesn't suit you, Rios."

"Not begging, merely requesting," Javier corrected, "as in, I'm requesting that you stay for dessert tonight."

"But I didn't make any," I pointed out in confusion.

"Doesn't mean we don't have any," said Javier as he shut off the faucet and shot a sly grin towards me.

I eyed him curiously as I watched him close the dishwasher door and walk over to the refrigerator. He opened the door and reached inside the refrigerator to pull out a round and very delicious-looking cheesecake, complete with a flaky crust and topped with glistening red clawberries.

"I hope you have a sweet tooth under all that wittiness," said Javier, pushing the door closed with one of his free hands.

I certainly did if my salivating mouth was any indication of that. "You made that?"

"I wish," Javier answered with a laugh. "It was actually a gift from some monster named Randy."

"A gift?" I repeated in slight amazement.

Javier shrugged nonchalantly, carefully placing the dessert onto the marble counter. "We get a lot of gifts from monsters, some weirder than others."

"Define 'weirder'," I requested in interest.

Javier paused, looking a tad uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Let's just say some monsters go to extreme lengths to get our attention. One time, Johnny woke up to a statue of himself made out of macaroni and glue sitting on our porch."

"Wow," I murmured in awe.

Javier nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Reggie's stomach appreciated it though."

I smiled and nodded my head at the cake. "I take it that is one of the normal gifts?"

"Yeah, we can't seem to stay away from sweet and enticing things," Javier explaining, winking at me.

I smiled at him knowingly. "Is that why you're always around me?"

Javier's smirk did not go unnoticed by me. "I think you already know the answer to that, chica."

I studied Javier's face, thinking back to earlier that day when Brynn suggested that I keep my mind open regarding my relationship with him. Sure, he was still the cheeky and suave bug-like monster that I knew from day one, but I would be lying if I said that I did not find my interactions with him enjoyable. If anything, said interactions revealed more qualities about him that I found quite intriguing: his honesty, his chivalry, and his determination were just several of them on a surprisingly-growing list.

"So, what do you say?" Javier asked. "Care to stay longer?"

A quick glance back at the tantalizing dessert just waiting to be devoured made me realize that dessert would serve as another opportunity to learn more about the monster behind the RΩR cardigan and armour plating. What kind of aspiring teacher would down any opportunity for learning? Certainly not this one.

"Sure."


	9. Learning

Making Our Mark

Chapter 9: Learning

* * *

"You look fantastic."

I smiled at Brynn through my full-body mirror before glancing back at my reflection, admiring the flowing black Latin dress with short sleeves that hugged my every curve. Ruffles went down to just above my knees. The dress was tied behind my neck and had a triangular cut-out, exposing part of my back. It lacked the usual Swarvosclaw crystals that typically adorned my competition dresses, but was sexy just like them.

"How are you feeling about your first dance class?" Brynn asked, watching me pull my wavy locks into an upper ponytail. "Teaching it, I mean."

"Okay, I guess," I answered with my hands full of hair. "A little bit anxious though because I've never done something like this before."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll do great," Brynn told me optimistically as she pushed herself off of her stomach to sit upright on my bed.

"I appreciate your positivity, Brynn," I told her, securing my ponytail with a scrunchie that matched my dress. "Hopefully, I won't be too tired after class because I want to get back to studying for midterms."

"What's your first midterm?" Brynn asked.

"Our Introduction to Literary Studies one next week," I answered, turning to her. "You?"

"Same," Brynn replied. "I heard it's a doozy."

I nodded in agreement. "Supposedly, if you write down everything that Professor Rocasolano says and regurgitate it onto your exam paper, you should be golden."

"Basically," said Brynn. "It's hard to keep up with her. I don't see how you have managed to do that."

"Why do you think I barely talk to anyone in that class?" I asked with a laugh.

"Hey, that ball of fur that sits behind me is really cute," Brynn protested defensively. "Can you blame me?"

"Hey, anything Professor Rocasolano says is fair game for exams," I reminded her. "I don't know about you, but I'm not one to gamble."

"True," said Brynn. She paused before asking, "Would you mind if I compare my notes with yours and see if I missed anything important that I should write down?"

"I don't mind at all," I answered with a smile. "You're welcome to do that while I'm gone and we can study together after I get back from class, that is, if you're feeling up to it."

"I would like that," said Brynn, "but won't the party make things too noisy?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What party?"

"Violet said Sulley plans on throwing a party on the third floor of the dorm building tonight," Brynn explained. "I'm surprised you didn't hear about it considering that you live here."

"I don't really talk to anyone in the building to be honest," I admitted. Whenever I was in the building, it was because I was either sleeping, doing schoolwork, or studying in my dorm. Any socializing that I did took place elsewhere on campus. "I'm surprised to hear about a party being thrown on a school night though. Do you know what for?"

Brynn shrugged. "No idea, but Sulley couldn't wait until the weekend to throw it, I've heard."

I frowned at yet another reason for disliking the blue behemoth. "Well, we're here on the fifth floor and the party's on the third, so a floor between us and the party floor will give us the peace and quiet that we need."

"Sounds good to me," Brynn agreed.

A sudden knock at the door caused Brynn and me to exchange looks; hers asked if I was expecting anybody and mine told her that I had no idea who was at the door.

"I'll get it," I spoke up, heading straight for the door. "My Introduction to Literary Studies binder is on the middle shelf of my bookshelf if you want to get started comparing notes."

Brynn nodded, hopped off of the bed, and wandered over to the bookshelf.

Opening the door, I came face-to-face with a monster hidden behind a beautifully-arranged bouquet of fresh flowers: a mix of pink tulips and white gardenias in a glass mason jar filled halfway with water. "May I help you?"

"Special delivery, Miss Worthington," the monster announced whose voice I recognized as belonging to the one who worked the front desk of the building.

I blinked in surprise. "For me, Mister Daniels?"

"Yes," Mister Daniels answered promptly. "A delivery monster from Floral Designs of Monstropolis just dropped it off at the front desk."

"Oh," I murmured as I accepted the bouquet and revealed his smiling face. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Miss Worthington," Mister Daniels replied cheerfully. "Have a pleasant evening."

"You too," I told him before stepping back and shutting the door.

Brynn, from her place by the bookshelf, stared at the bouquet in my arms in awe. "Wow, whose eye did you catch now?"

I shrugged in response as I placed the vase onto my desk next to my messenger bag. It seemed like an ordinary bouquet, but not to someone who knew the meanings behind flowers from doing a lot of reading in her spare time. While the white gardenias symbolized good luck, the pink tulips represented good wishes and confidence. I silently questioned if these flowers were intentionally selected to convey the message that it did.

"There's a card," Brynn pointed out, jabbing a claw towards a piece of cardstock resting between the leaves of the bouquet.

I reached forward to pluck the card in question and found four words scrawled on it.

 _Bueña suerte esta noche!_

"So," said Brynn, rocking on her heels in anticipation, "who's it from?"

"There's no name," I answered, though I had a feeling I knew who sent the bouquet.

Brynn took me by surprise by swiping the card from my claws to read it. "Good luck tonight. That's what it says."

"I know what it says, Brynn," I told her. "You're not the only Spanish Studies major in this room."

A smirk began to form on Brynn's face as she shifted her gaze from the card back to me. "Does Javier know that you're the new Latin Fusion dance instructor?"

"Yeah, he does," I responded simply. I was not about to tell Brynn that Javier was going to be one of my students. Only Violet and I were aware of Javier's interest in Latin dancing and I fully intended for it to stay that way for as long as Javier wanted it to remain a secret. One of the most important practises of a teacher was exercising confidentiality.

"Does he know that your first class starts tonight?" Brynn asked.

"It came up in conversation," I answered nonchalantly.

Brynn clasped her hands together, her eyes alight with pure happiness. "Aww, how romantic!"

I smiled, amused by her behaviour. "I don't know about romantic, but it was very thoughtful of him to send flowers."

Sending me a knowing look, Brynn said, "He really likes you."

"I know that," I replied, fingering the soft petals of the tulips.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Brynn asked in an attempt to prompt some reaction to Javier's sweet gesture from me.

"Nothing now," I answered, rummaging through my bag to make sure that I had everything that I needed: my dorm room key, my Latin dance shoes, my choreography notes, my laptop, and the file of documentation given to me by Violet. "I have to get going or I'll be late."

"Fine," Brynn relented; however, the coy smile lingered on her lips, "but we're so discussing this later."

"There's nothing to discuss!" I exclaimed with an air of slight exasperation as I slipped my leather jacket on and swung my bag over my shoulder. Never before was I thankful to have a reason to cut a conversation short.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, honey," said Brynn, hiding her grin behind my Introduction to Literary Studies binder now in her hands.

I shook my head before opening the door and exiting my dorm room to begin the short and silent trek over to the campus fitness center, which was located within walking distance of the dorm building. As I walked, I shifted my focus from Javier and the flowers to my upcoming lesson, mentally running through the choreography and lesson plan in my mind to ensure that I would be fully prepared by the time I arrived.

* * *

The fitness center lobby, which was brightly lit and had various sports jerseys and memorabilia lining the walls, was quiet when I arrived. The leather armchairs were empty as well as the adjacent room that housed the indoor basketball courts and track. A flat screen television was hanging from the ceiling, with the screen changing every ten seconds to promote upcoming campus events like dance classes and the football game against Fear Tech.

Violet was flipping through some files at the front desk when she looked up and smiled at the sight of me. "Hey, Danica, ready for you first class?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," I answered with a smile as I approached her.

"Cool," said Violet. "I'll let you go and set up in Studio D. Holler if you need anything, okay?"

"Will do," I promised before leaving her to her administrative-related duties.

A framed map of the fitness center hanging nearby told me to head down the hallway of bleached-white walls next to the main desk. Coming across a fork, the directional sign hanging above me instructed me to turn down the hallway to the right. I passed Studios A, B, and C before finally coming across Studio D.

"D is for dance," I murmured to myself. Exhaling any last-minute jitters, I opened the door and stepped inside.

Studio D was a spacious rectangular room with ceiling-high mirrors plastered along the walls and a tessellated hardwood floor. A sound system sandwiched a table that had some extension cords dangling from it, which was probably where I would be able to hook up my laptop to play music when needed. Wooden cubbies lined the wall behind the sound system, presumably to store bags and any unused gear during classes.

After removing my laptop and Latin dance shoes from my bag, I tucked my bag into one of the cubbies. I strapped on my dance shoes and then proceeded to connect my laptop to the sound system. As setup progressed, I felt myself getting more excited and nervous. I was moments away from kicking off my first dance class as an instructor and I was really hoping that it would go well.

I was testing the volume on the sound system when an enthusiastic voice greeted me from the doorway.

"Danica!"

Glancing up from my laptop, I smiled brightly at Terri and Terry walking into the studio, wearing sweatbands around their heads that matched their sweater. "Guys, what brings you by?"

"We signed up for your beginner-level dance class," Terri explained with a smile. "I was so excited when Violet told us that you would be the one teaching it."

"That's great!" I exclaimed happily. "It'll be nice to know some friendly faces in the studio."

"Yeah, you made dancing kinda fun when we went out to the Chili Steppers Dance Club," Terry admitted, "so I figured going along with this because Terri wanted to take the class wouldn't be so bad."

I smiled kindly. "I'm not going to lie though, guys, I'm definitely a bit nervous about this first class."

"Why?" Terri asked curiously. "You're a great teacher."

"Thanks," I answered sincerely before continuing, "but I've never taught a class before, let alone a dance class. I just want things to go well."

"And they will," Terri promised with an abundance of certainty. "If tonight is anything like Latin Night was, your classes will surely become popular with the campus community."

I rested a hand over my beating heart. "You guys are so sweet."

The twins and I continued to chat as monsters started filing in at different times, some looking hesitant and others exuding excitement. I made sure to greet each of them with a nod of acknowledgement and a reassuring smile as they passed me to tuck their bags into cubbies; if I learned anything thus far from my education classes, it was how important it was to show your students that you were happy to be there and happy to see them. How I behaved as a teacher would shape the environment in which my students learned and I wanted to foster a safe environment in which they could learn how to dance and make mistakes without fearing judgement from their peers.

Terry was in the middle of telling me a funny story about Art when I noticed that the analog clock on the wall read seven o'clock on the dot. Me noting the time was the cue that Terry took to cut the story short and walk over with Terri to the middle of the studio where the other twelve students were gathered, some chatting amicably with each other and some waiting patiently for the class to start.

Moving to stand in front of the table, facing the students, I realized then and there that I had pretty much decided on everything for today's class – the warmup, the choreography, the cool down – except for how I was going to introduce myself. I thought back to how I addressed the different dance teachers that I had over the years such as Madame Kotova of the Monstropolis Ballet Academy and Miss Lavinia of the Kenna Grace Dance Centre. Giving out my last name was out of the question for personal reasons. I gazed out at the students standing before me and remembered that I was just like them; students at Monsters University. Even though I was their dance teacher, I wanted them to be able to relate to me and I knew that they could do that better without the formalities.

After taking a deep breath and letting it out, I said in a loud and chipper voice, "Good evening everyone!"

That got the attention of the monsters before me; all the chatter ceased immediately and everyone, including the twins, watched me expectantly for my next words.

I smiled at their attentiveness and continued, "My name is Danica and I'll be your dance instructor for the Latin Fusion beginner-level dance class for the rest of the school year. Please note that this is a safe and judgement-free environment. I would like for all of us to have fun dancing and not worry about what others may think of us."

Once I uttered that statement, I noticed that many of the students breathed sighs of immense relief, including those whom I recognized from the campus's Greek community. It made me smile to see some of the fraternity brothers and sorority sisters venture outside of the Greek community to seek extracurricular involvement; it indicated that they knew that there was more to life than just scaring human children and partying.

"So," I said with a clap of my hands, "let's do a little warm-up before I introduce you to the basics of the cha-cha-cha."

* * *

By the time we reached the halfway point of the lesson, I was unsure which surprised me more: my ability to clearly convey the choreography through spoken words and demonstrations or the rate at which the students were able to pick up the steps and performing them repeatedly in hopes of having them down pat by the end of the class. The icing on the cake was that they all appeared to be having fun, so much fun that I did not catch any of them glance at the clock on the wall to count down the time that remained until class ended.

After introducing the closed basic, the New Yorker, and the spot turn following the warm-up, I instructed the students to pair up and rehearse the basic steps. All of the pairs had scattered around the studio, allocating enough space between pairs to practise the steps without bumping into each other. I circulated the studio to observe each of the pairs up close, studying their footwork and technique and offering both compliments and carefully-chosen words of constructive criticism.

"Good job George," I praised the JΘX brother of orange fur, "but remember to transfer your weight to the right foot on the count of three when you're doing the New Yorker, yeah?"

George nodded before turning back to his choice of partner: the one-eyed Debbie Gabler from Slugma Slugma Kappa. Both sported their Greek gear with pride as they practised, counting the steps out loud as they danced.

"What a graceful spot turn, Sophia," I commended a petite squid-like monster of shocking pink who was an avid yogi based on the gossip reports courtesy of Brynn.

"Thanks!" Sophia chirped as she resumed the series of steps with her partner: a Gamma Roar Roar fraternity brother.

A sudden yelp caused me to whip around in alarm. Hopping repeatedly on one foot nearby was Crystal, one of two redheads from Python Nu Kappa. The look of agony on her face, her gritted teeth, and the manner in which she gripped her other foot told me all that I needed to know.

"Sorry, Crystal!" said her partner: a brawny monster from the varsity football team with rather large feet and thick legs.

"Everything okay?" I asked, drifting over to the duo immediately.

"He kicked my foot!" Crystal shrieked, sounding very much like a kindergartener who had gotten her toy stolen.

"I said I was sorry!" the football player told her, seeming peeved by her outburst.

I smiled gently and said to the duo, "This wouldn't be the first foot injury to occur during a dance lesson."

"Klutz," Crystal mumbled, shaking her sore foot as though she could eradicate the pain in doing so.

"Ah, ah, ah," I said in a chiding manner, "this is a judgement-free environment, remember?"

Crystal sighed and nodded before giving her silky red hair and flip over her slender shoulders.

"Now, let's try the basics again," I suggested as calmly and encouragingly as I could. "The steps are choreographed in a way that allows a pair of monsters to dance together without worrying about breaking any part of the foot." Turning to the football player, I continued, "Danny, try taking smaller steps from this point forward."

Danny nodded, taking Crystal's right hand in his left and resting his right hand just under her left shoulder blade.

Shifting my attention to Crystal, I said, "Crystal, keep your eyes on Danny and trust that his foot placement will improve with this little tweak."

"And if they don't?" Crystal asked, giving Danny a look of apprehension.

"They will with smaller steps," I promised with a reassuring smile, looking between her and Danny. "Trust me. It's all about trust."

Crystal bit her bottom lip and reluctantly got back into a closed hold with Danny, resting her left set of manicured claws over his right bicep.

"Okay, I'll count you both in," I told the duo as I began to clap. "Five, six, seven, eight…"

On the next beat of one, Crystal and Danny kicked off the routine with a series of closed basics. As I examined their footwork, they partially broke hold and performed a set of New Yorkers, mumbling the count of the beats under their breaths. After the third New Yorker, they fully broke hold to perform a spot turn to my right, returned to closed position, shuffled to my left in a cha-cha-like manner, and finally executed another spot turn to my left before finding themselves back in hold.

"Yes!" I cheered, beaming with pride at their success. "You guys did it!"

"Thank goodness!" Crystal exclaimed, possibly at the miraculous survival of her unbruised foot.

"Hell yeah!" Danny boomed, punching a fist into the air triumphantly.

I exhaled, feeling completely relaxed at the sight of the six pairs of students repeating the series of basics steps that I had taught them. I, as a teacher, lived for moments like these. Seeing someone accomplish a goal, especially someone who doubted their abilities from the beginning, was what made the profession so rewarding. If the beginner's class could accomplish the basics in just one class, I was looking forward to seeing what they could do by the end of the school year.

Clapping my hands to get the attention of all the monsters in attendance, I announced, "Good job with the steps everyone! Let's see if you can dance them in time with the music."

* * *

I was both surprised and touched at the sight of the disappointed expressions on my students' faces when the time came to dismiss them from class (I took that as a sign that they had enjoyed my first lesson and were reluctant for it to end). They packed up and left with the excitement to return next week. Those from the Greek community hoped to see me at the party that Sulley was hosting back at the dorm building, which I still had no intention of attending.

While I unstrapped my dance shoes and placed them into my bag, Terri and Terry stayed behind to keep me company and talk about the class. We ended up leaving the campus fitness center together, but split up near the troll bridge to continue on to our separate destinations; them to the Oozma Kappa house and me to my dorm building.

The journey back to my dorm appeared to have flown by and I think it was because I was mentally reflecting on my first dance class that I had taught: what went well and what I could improve on. It only really hit me that I had arrived back at the dorm building when the elevator in the lobby dinged and its doors slid open to accommodate a dragon-like monster and me. As the elevator ascended, I relaxed, knowing that I was mere moments from being back in the comfort of my room and getting back to studying.

The elevator slowed to a stop on the third floor. When the doors slid open, exposing the events that was taking place outside of it, my fellow elevator occupant cheered happily and zipped out to join in the fun or in the chaos depending on whom you asked. Curiosity definitely possessed me because I soon found myself stepping out of the elevator to check out just how wild Sulley's party was getting.

Twisted blue streamers ping ponged from one wall to the next. About two dozen yelling monsters and a powerful rock tune filled the hallway. One of the monsters, a pudgy orange one, was proudly wearing a lampshade as he violently jammed away to a broom as though it was an electric guitar, his actions fuelled by the enthusiastic cheers of the monsters around him.

"What the –" I stuttered, completely appalled at the scene playing out before me.

A scrawny chartreuse monster with four tentacles zipped down the hallway, armed with cans of silly string, spraying its contents on everyone and everything that he passed.

"Hey!" I cried in outrage as I dragged my claws through my ombre ponytail to comb out the green and yellow silly string that fell onto me.

No one seemed to have heard my objection over Roy's screaming; he was at one end of the hallway, decked out in an MU varsity jacket rather than in his usual JΘX one, raising his fists in dominance and excitement. From behind him, a ball-like triclops of chartreuse and spikes and a teal-coloured squid with only two tentacles for appendages were dangling from the ceiling and appeared to have no concern for their safety, much less for the safety of anyone else.

From behind a crowd of partygoers, Sulley emerged with an evil grin on his lips and a bottle of gleww in one of his hands. A glint of determination was evident in his eyes as he passed me by. He clearly had a plan formulating in his mind and, whatever it was, I had a sinking feeling that some poor sap was going to fall victim to it and I really did not want to be around when that happened.

"Chica!"

Recognizing the accent, I turned around and watched Javier maneuver his way around monsters to get to me. As he got closer, I felt my eyes widen even more upon realizing that he was not wearing his RΩR cardigan. In fact, he was shirtless and seemed to have no problem partying with his sculpted chest on display. I actually found it quite distracting.

"How was your first dance class?" Javier asked once he was directly in front of me.

I cleared my throat when I realized that the words that I wanted to say in response were not coming out. "Fine, very fine."

Javier chuckled. "Glad to hear that."

"Yes, well, um" I began as I forced my gaze up to his eyes, "thank you for the flowers."

"Ah, you got them?" Javier asked.

"Yeah, I hot them," I replied before quickly correcting myself. "Got them! Yes, I got them!" I coughed and added, "I, um, really appreciate the gesture."

Javier grinned amusedly at my flustered behaviour. "Stay for the party?"

I shook my head. "Can't, Brynn's waiting for me in my dorm. We're going to squeeze in more review for midterms."

"More studying?" Javier asked, tilting his head at me.

"Yeah, Brynn ab, I mean grabbed, a book from the library over the weekend that might come in handy," I stuttered before shaking my head in disappointment at my second Freudian slip in less than a minute.

Javier nodded, looking as though he was restraining a laugh. "Mmhm."

I decided to joke a bit in an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness that I felt was trying to suffocate me. "Don't party too hard. You have midterms coming up too. The last thing Johnny wants is one of his brothers bringing shame to the RΩR fraternity."

"I promise I won't," Javier vowed with another chuckle, "but you should get some rest too if you want to kick tail on _your_ midterms."

"Of course," I replied, my voice a few octaves higher than where I wanted them to be. "I mean, Brynn and I are just going to study a bit and then get some chest, I mean, rest!"

Javier arched an eyebrow at what I would call my sudden lack of composure and smirked widely. "Alright, well, bueñas noches."

I simply nodded in response, not trusting my mouth to say anything further, and turned around to slap the up elevator button rather forcefully. I wasted no time in darting inside once the doors slid open and jabbing the button that would take me to the fifth floor. As the doors slid closed again and the elevator began to ascend, I leaned against the back of the car and took deep breaths, but was unable to dissolve the image of Javier and his impeccable physique that had recently formed in my mind.

Upon arriving at the fifth floor, I bolted out of the elevator and down the hallway to my dorm. I fished out my key and jammed it into the keyhole. Once I heard the unmistakable sound of the door unlocking, I dashed into my room and slammed the door behind me, caring less about disturbing the monsters who lived on the same floor and may have already turned in for the nigh.

"Easy there, honey," Brynn spoke up as I breezed past her spot at my desk. "Where's the fire?"

Ignoring her question, I tossed my bag onto my bed and then collapsed next to it, facing upward. I closed my eyes and exhaled again, this time rather loudly.

"You okay, Danica?" Brynn asked, her voice exuding concern. "You look like you just saw a human kid."

"Worse," I told her, my eyes falling closed again. "I just saw Javier without a shirt on."

Brynn catcalled, grinning wickedly. "And?"

I sighed in defeat. "Holy fangs, he's hot."

Brynn laughed heartily. "Ah, so _he's_ the fire."

I responded with a frustrated, "Ugh!"


	10. Carnival

Making Our Mark

Chapter 10: Carnival

* * *

A blur.

That is exactly how I would describe the first half of the last full week of September.

All I really remember was that it involved lectures, dancing, teaching, studying, and sleeping. Which happened when is beyond the scope of my memory. If anyone dared to cut me open, I would probably bleed a rich mixture of Spanish vocabulary, literary symbolism, assessment strategies, choreography, and coffee.

October was coming up the following week and that meant the start of midterm season. In my case, and in those of other freshmen on campus, it would be our first time taking midterms. Aside from the hints that my professors had been dropping about the exams regarding formats and the topics that would be covered, I was unsure of what to expect. To be on the safe side, I decided to use the same approach that I would use for any upcoming assessment: study everything.

Sipping my chocolate claw iced cappuccino, a beverage that had quickly become an essential component of my student diet, I strolled past the amphitheater en route to my dorm. After a few hours of doing intense review of my literature notes on a picnic table and enjoying the beautiful sunlight, I decided to return to my dorm to continue studying and to make use of the caffeine that was running through my veins.

"Miss Worthington!"

Startled by the formal manner in which I was addressed, I turned to see my professor for Pedagogy of the Arts walking briskly up to me: a slim dinosaur with teal-coloured scales, a set of curly horns in hot pink, and a joyful demeanor wherever she went. "Oh, good afternoon Professor Guindon."

"I'm glad that I ran into you," Professor Guindon told me with a smile. "Saves me an e-mail or waiting until the next class."

I was confused by the sense of urgency in her voice and immediately thought that, in the midst of upholding my boatload of responsibilities, I forgot to hand in something. This prompted me to start frantically running through my to-do list for that course. "Is everything okay, Professor? Did I forget to submit something?"

"Oh, no, not at all, Miss Worthington," Professor Guindon assured me. "You've been submitting everything before deadlines so far and have earned top marks on it all to boot. I'm very impressed."

I beamed in relief. "Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me," said Professor Guindon with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You did the work."

I smiled politely and asked, "So what can I do for you, Professor?"

"Well, first of all, I would like to commend you on another excellent assignment," Professor Guindon began. "Your critique on the campus's production of _Love and Monster Remains_ was articulately written."

"Thank you," I replied, grateful for her positive feedback. "It was a very good play."

"I'm sure it is," said Professor Guindon with a warm smile. "You have definitely convinced me to go see it tonight. I have a ticket for the eight o'clock show."

"I'm glad to hear that," I said.

Professor Guindon continued, "Second of all, I would like to know if I may have your permission to share your critique with others?"

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. "Share it?"

"Yes, I truly believe that it is a beautifully-written piece worth sharing," Professor Guindon explained kindly. "Your name will on it, of course. It _is_ your work after all."

I was extremely flattered that my professor wanted to share my work with her colleagues, so I saw no issue with the request. "Certainly, Professor Guindon, you have my permission."

"Splendid!" Professor Guindon gushed. "Thank you very much!"

"You're most welcome, Professor," I responded graciously.

Professor Guindon nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well, I have to make one more stop before the show starts and I see you have company, so I won't keep you any longer. Have a good rest of the day, Miss Worthington."

"You as well, Professor," I answered slowly as I was confused as to what company she was referring to. Having noted that she had looked over my shoulder when mentioning it, I turned around to see Javier waiting patiently for me a short distance away, leaning back on his heels.

"Bueñas tardes, chica," he greeted casually.

"Hey, Rios," I replied as I approached him. "When did you get here?"

"Near the end of your conversation with your professor," Javier answered. "Didn't want to interrupt."

"Well, thanks, I appreciate that," I said genially. "What's up?"

Eyeing the binder of notes in my arms, Javier asked, "Still studying?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I've got my first midterm next week."

"Oh, for Introduction to Literary Studies right?" Javier asked to see if he remembered correctly.

I smiled again as I flipped open my binder for him. "I see you have been listening to me after all."

"I always do whenever you're speaking," said Javier with a wink as he carefully took the binder from my hands.

I rolled my eyes playfully and said, "Anyway, I've been studying my tail off, making sure I know the vocabulary terms from the book and the play that we have read so far - how the book's events reflect its theme, the symbolism behind events – it's a lot to review."

"No kidding," said Javier with raised eyebrows as he flipped from one highlighted page to the next. "These are a lot of notes."

I laughed. "Well, my professor talks a lot. Anything that comes out of her mouth is fair game on exams."

"Claro que sí," Javier agreed. "My professor for Error Analysis in Scaring is the same."

"You think they're related in some way?" I asked, grinning amusedly.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Javier answered, shaking his head. "That's why I'm taking a break from the studying tonight."

"Doing what?" I asked curiously.

Javier, grinning mysteriously, held out a hand to me and asked, "Why don't you come with me and find out?"

I sighed. "Rios, you know I have a midterm next week."

"So do I," said Javier, "but you've been studying a lot for a while now and it seems like you got this stuff down pat."

"I feel like I do," I agreed, "but it wouldn't hurt to go over it all some more."

Javier lowered his hand and asked, "How long have you been studying today?"

I pondered the question before I started laughing sheepishly. "Since seven this morning with a break around noon for lunch."

Javier chuckled and shook his head. "Chica, you need more breaks than that or you're going to burn out, and I can't have you burning out."

I smirked at his confession. "Why, would you miss me?"

Tilting his head at me, Javier asked, "What do you think?"

I scoffed lightly. "I think that you're trying to convince me to stop studying."

"Just for now," Javier promised me. "Everyone needs a break now and then. Besides, tomorrow is Friday and we both don't have lectures to go to on Fridays."

I nodded slowly, slightly touched that he remembered a lot about me. "True, and breaks give you time for the information to sink in."

"Exactly," Javier exclaimed, "so what do you say that we go take a break together?"

"Together?" I questioned and then jokingly added, "Who said that I wanted to spend my free time with you?"

Javier laughed. "Are you not the least bit curious as to what I have planned?"

I paused to consider what he had said and sighed when I realized that he was right. Curiosity definitely had me at that point and it refused to let me go. "Maybe I am a little."

Javier grinned, shutting my binder closed and tucking it under his arm. "Then follow me."

I paused before following Javier away from the amphitheater and down the road to Frat Row. Monsters from the various Greek fraternities and sororities were out and about enjoying the warm weather. I waved at Sonia as she passed by with her sisters from Eta Hiss Hiss, her attitude cool and untroubled when she nodded at me in acknowledgement. Omar gave me a cheerful greeting as he fluttered alongside Percy, with the latter suddenly taking a keen interest in a loose thread on his jacket. No doubt me catching him doing the walk of shame from the Slugma Slugma Kappa house was still fresh in his mind.

Once we arrived at the RΩR house, Javier handed back my binder and said, "Wait here."

I nodded silently, taking my binder and watching him jog up the front path to the porch. He opened the surprisingly-unlocked front door, entered the house, and shut the door behind him.

I kept my gaze on the door, wondering what Javier's idea was for a study break. Whatever it was, we clearly were not going to do it in the house since he did not invite me inside. Was he bringing something out? Were we going somewhere on campus? Off campus? A myriad of ideas started running through my mind.

The sound and motion of the garage door rising jerked me out of my thoughts, exposing Johnny's black Ferroari parked inside. From behind the luxury ride came Javier, rolling out a shiny black and crimson Howley-Davidson motorcycle that gleamed under the beams of the garage lights. Shielding his entire head and face was a glossy full-face helmet that matched the motorcycle.

"That's yours?" I asked in amazement.

"Sí, esta linda, ¿no?" Javier answered, lifting up the visor to reveal his eyes. "Nothing compared to you though, chica."

"Of course not," I murmured with a playful smile, "so what do you have in mind?"

"Well," Javier began as he opened the travel trunk attached to the back of the motorcycle and pulled out another full-face helmet, this one in black, "why don't you put this on, put your notes in the trunk, and go from there?"

Resting a claw on my chin in mock thought, I said, "I can name a few reasons."

"Remember what I said about taking a break?" Javier asked me.

"I know," I replied with a nod, "but just know that it better leave my body fully intact, thank you."

Javier chuckled. "I'm a good driver, chica. I promise that you'll come back to MU in one piece."

"How do you know that?" I questioned, amused at his confidence.

Holding my gaze, Javier said, "You'll just have to trust me."

 _I seriously hope trusting him with my life won't cost me it,_ I thought before exchanging my binder for the extra helmet and slipping it over my head. I admired how it was snug enough to protect my head and face without crushing my horns. I flipped up the visor to see Javier tuck my binder into the trunk before snapping it closed.

Javier dusted off his hands before walking back around to kick up the kickstand of the motorcycle. He grabbed hold of the handles and climbed onto the seat with ease. He then looked to me and nudged his head in a come-hither motion. "Hop on."

Silently praying that I would live and not regret this tomorrow, let alone many years from now, I exhaled and walked over to the motorcycle. I carefully swung my left leg over it and plopped myself onto it directly behind Javier, staring at my legs that dangled a foot above the paved driveway. I was thankful that my dress was long because it only rode up a little when I was seated, so I would not be flashing anybody during the ride.

"You okay back there?" Javier asked, glancing at me over his right shoulder.

"Yeah," I piped up. "Just never rode one of these before."

"Well, you won't be able to say that after tonight," Javier pointed out with a grin.

I smiled behind the helmet. "So, where are we going?"

"You'll see," Javier assured me. "Just hold on to me."

"Oh, you'd like that, won't you?" I asked teasingly.

Javier snickered. "Sí, but I also don't want you flying off during the ride."

"Oh, we certainly can't have that," I agreed in an exaggerated manner. "I can only imagine what Johnny will do to you if he finds out that you were responsible for my body ending up in pieces."

"I'd rather not find out," said Javier, "so for both of our sakes, hold on tight, okay?"

I nodded and leaned forward enough to grip the sides of his cardigan-covered torso, yet maintained somewhat of a distance between his back and my chest. Holding him in such a manner elicited a foreign feeling from within me, but I did not seem to mind it.

Slapping his visor closed again, Javier turned to face forward once more.

I jumped slightly at the sound and the feeling of the motorcycle starting up and its engine roaring to life.

"Ready, chica?" Javier called over the sound of the engine.

"Guess so," I replied before shutting my visor and taking hold of Javier again.

With a few consecutive roars of the engine, the motorcycle rolled down the driveway and picked up speed as we began wheeling down Frat Row, causing monsters on a casual stroll to quickly jump out of the way or risk being flattened.

* * *

The massive buildings of the Monsters University campus became smaller and smaller the further away Javier took us away from it. We went from enjoying a leisurely ride down the main street in the direction of downtown Monstropolis to cruising westward down a multi-lane highway. From reading the green directional signs that we passed by, we seemed to be heading for the coastline.

An unknown amount of time later (I was reluctant to release my hold on Javier to check the time on my wristwatch while the motorcycle was still in motion), we exited the highway and turned onto a well-lit boulevard from which I could see the sun setting on the horizon beyond the ocean, creating a warm blend of magenta, orange, and yellow hues in the sky above. The scenery was stunningly beautiful and brought an air of tranquility to the night. I hoped that the pleasant atmosphere was foreshadowing whatever was to come that evening.

Before I knew it, the motorcycle came to a stop and Javier spoke up, "We're here, chica."

Realizing that my arms had somehow found their way around his torso over the course of the trip, I pulled back quickly, feeling myself blush in embarrassment. I was thankful that I still had my helmet on because it hid my reddening cheeks from Javier who probably would not have let me live it down if he knew what my face looked like at that given moment.

Once freed from my hold, Javier climbed off of the motorcycle and knocked down the kickstand with his foot.

Flipping open my visor, I took in the sight of parked vehicles on asphalt around me, followed by of the cluster of towering rides, inflatables, tents, and colourful lights on the pier nearby. "A carnival?"

"Why not?" said Javier as he removed his helmet. "Have you ever been to the Monstropolis Carnival Pier?"

"Can't say that I have," I answered honestly, watching a couple of teenagers exit the pier, with one of them hugging an oversized stuffed dinosaur. "I was always busy with school, dance, or some charity fundraiser that my parents would host. Those things didn't really free up any time for much else."

Holding his upper pair of hands out to me, Javier grinned and said, "I guess we should fix that, shouldn't we?"

Meeting his eyes, I noted the mixture of emotions swimming within them: sincerity, adoration, and a hint of mischievousness. I willingly accepted his hands, using them as support as I got off of the motorcycle. Once my feet were back on the ground, I released his hands, so I could remove my helmet and run my hands through my wavy locks that had blown in every direction during the ride from campus to the pier. I handed my helmet to Javier, who secured it to the motorcycle with his own, before we proceeded in the direction of the pier.

Screams of joy and terror rang out from the assorted rides depending if it was tame like the merry-go-round or heart-stopping like the incredibly loopy rollercoaster. The delectable scents of fried food and sweet treats, ranging from giant blooming onions to freshly-cooked s'mores, wafted in every direction. Monsters of all ages crossed paths, amusing themselves with everything that the carnival had to offer them.

The large group of monsters in attendance made it a bit challenging getting from point A to point B, causing me to wrap my arm tighter around Javier's torso as to not lose him in the crowd. Judging by the upper right arm that had snaked its way around my waist in a protective and guiding manner, it seemed that Javier had the same intention of us sticking together. After the way that I held onto him during the motorcycle ride, I was used to the feeling of being in close proximity to him.

Javier and I paused in front of a red, yellow, and blue inflatable that had two rope ladders with steel rungs stretching diagonally upwards from the front towards the back cage wall on which a bell was perched between the two ladders. Dangling from the wall was an assortment of stuffed plushies, ranging in size and colour. A petite grey cyclops, who was scaling the left ladder, squealed when the ladder spontaneously flipped over, sending him toppling off of it.

"These things are hard," I remarked, watching the cyclops scramble grudgingly off of the inflatable in defeat.

"Mind if I give it a shot?" Javier asked.

I turned to see him and smirked. "Not at all. It'll be fun watching you fall on your ass."

Javier let out a chuckle before gently pulling away from me, an aura of confidence radiating from him, and sauntering over to the slug on duty. He said a few words to the slug before fishing out a few dollar bills from his cardigan pocket and passing it over to him. Turning to the inflatable, he began studying every inch of it carefully as though he was trying to memorize every design detail.

I watched attentively as Javier finally climbed onto the inflatable and reached over to finger the rope on the ladder to the right. I watched his eyes shift from one end of the ladder to the other end near the back of the inflatable where the bell was. It seemed that he was mentally planning how to go about successfully climbing the ladder and I had to admit that I was impressed by his approach of thinking before acting. Johnny, who had a tendency of doing the inverse, could learn a lot from him.

Finally, Javier slowly mounted the ladder, appendage by appendage. His claws gripped onto the sides of the ladder rather than onto the steel rungs that rang up between them, a different technique than that used by the cyclops before him. Once he seemed balanced, he began the steady climb to the top, moving one arm or leg at a time, making sure to check his balance after every step taken.

I held my breath in anticipation as he moved further and further up the ladder and I found myself analyzing his every movement. At one point, I felt my eyes travel from the claws grasping the ladder tightly to his broad shoulders, down his cardigan-covered back, and finally to his backside - a very nice-looking backside if I do say so myself.

 _Wait, what?_

I quickly shook my head to clear my mind of the observation that I had just made.

 _Is Johnny right? Have I actually lost my mind?_

I cleared my throat and straightened up, trying to reassure myself that my mind was as sharp as ever.

 _You're just running low on sleep, Danica. Yeah, that's it. You just need some sleep later on tonight, that's all._

The bell that dinged loudly at the back of the inflatable caused me to jump slightly and return my focus to the carnival. Looking up ahead, I saw Javier climb off the other end of the ladder, an expression of pure victory written all over his face. Scanning my surroundings, I noticed that a crowd of onlookers had gathered and were cheering and applauding enthusiastically in support of his achievement.

"Congratulations, sir!" the slug exclaimed cheerfully at Javier. "You can select any prize you'd like for your lovely lady."

I felt my cheeks heat up again when the slug assumed that I was Javier's girlfriend, but I was too busy mentally scolding myself for shamelessly staring at Javier in public to bother correcting him.

Turning to the prizes on display, Javier inspected every plush creature of colour and size hanging on it. Eventually, he unlooked one and slid back down the inflatable. After getting back to his feet, he walked back over to me and handed over his chosen prize.

"For me?" I asked slowly.

Javier nodded in response as he slipped the plush creature into my hands.

"Excellent choice, sir!" the slug chimed in.

Giving the purple plush creature a closer look, I realized that it looked a lot like Javier: it had four pink eyes, four long arms, two long antennae, and a torso with familiar armour plating. The only think it lacked was a RΩR cardigan. Despite that, the resemblance between the plush bug and Javier was uncanny.

"Enjoy the rest of the carnival, folks!" the slug said in a lively manner before turning to greet another customer who wanted to give the ladders a shot.

Looking up at Javier, I said, "Thank you."

"De nada, chica," Javier replied with a warm smile.

"Now I have something to use for target practise whenever you piss me off," I said with a toothy grin.

Javier chuckled as we began to walk away from the inflatable. "You would never do that to it."

"How would you know?" I questioned with a laugh.

"You wouldn't mess up a face as handsome as his," said Javier arrogantly, "especially since he's modelled after me."

"Don't tempt me," I retorted, my eyes shifting from Javier to a red and yellow tent nearby, complete with a series of pyramids made up of empty slimonade bottles. With the urge to prove that I had good aim strengthening with each passing second, I strolled with conviction up to the tent without waiting for Javier to follow me.

The monster in charge, a cheerful serpent with aquamarine scales and red spots, greeted me with a smile as I approached him; however, rather than address me directly, he turned to Javier who had joined us from behind me. "Hey there, bro. Here to win your pretty lady another prize?"

"The pretty lady can win another prize for herself," I told him before Javier could reply, making it abundantly clear that I was present and had both working ears and a mouth.

The monster sneered, clearly doubting my abilities for some reason, "Good luck with that, sweetheart."

"Don't need it," I responded confidently, roughly thrusting a few dollar bills at him, "but thank you anyway."

The serpent looked taken aback by my boldness, but gave me one of the orange-sized red balls from a nearby bucket in exchange for the cash.

"You sure about this, chica?" Javier whispered from behind me. "That pyramid of bottles looks easier to knock down than it really is. Trust me, I've tried."

Smiling confidently at Javier over my shoulder, I said, "I got this, Rios."

Unlike the serpent, Javier appeared to believe me and stepped back to give me space and to watch me in action. The serpent did the same; however, the snicker that he attempted to disguise with a cough was audible.

Positioning myself directly in front of the middle pyramid of bottles, I noted that the base consisted of a row of three bottles. A row of two bottles was stacked atop it, followed by one lone bottle at the very top, just dying to be knocked over. Being the detail-oriented monster that I was, I carefully assessed the entire triangular structure as I contemplated my plan of action. Most monsters would probably chuck the ball at the top bottle and hope for the best.

Of course, I was not like most monsters.

After giving the ball a quick polish against my leather jacket, I pulled it over my shoulder and flung it towards the base of the pyramid, knocking out the entire bottom row and causing the three bottles standing on top of it to topple over as well. All six bottles clinked against each other as they collided on the way down and shattered by the serpent's quartet of feet.

Javier wolf-whistled at me from behind. "Impressive, chica."

"Gracias," I replied smugly as I accepted a piece of cardstock that the stunned serpent passed me. I nodded my thanks before strutting off without a glance back at Javier as I was fully expecting him to follow me.

"How did you know to do that?" Javier asked as he popped up next to me.

"Simple," I answered. "If you hit the pyramid at the top, it doesn't do much to what's below it. If the bottom of the pyramid caves in, so does the rest of the structure. It's like a weed; cut off the top, yet it still grows back. Pluck it by its roots and it's toast."

Javier smiled admiringly. "Well, you sure showed that snake."

"Showed him what?" I asked with a laugh. "I just knocked down his precious pyramid."

"I mean, you showed him that you're more than just a pretty face," Javier explained, gazing down at me rather fondly.

I smirked proudly in a manner that would probably please my brother. "Damn right I am."

Javier laughed. "You really are Johnny's sister."

"And Johnny's sister is starving," I told him, speaking in third person for the second time that evening. Showing him the piece of cardstock in my hand, a voucher for a free dinner for two, I asked, "Would you like to share my prize with me?"

* * *

After downing two juicy eel dogs, a basket of fries, and a pair of Blorts later, Javier and I opted to try our luck at more carnival games. Although we were not able to keep a winning streak going, we still enjoyed relishing in the fun and forgetting about midterms for just one night. Tonight we were not Danica the teacher-to-be nor Javier the Scarer-in-training; we were simply Danica and Javier.

Pulling away from a water gun shooting game, Javier said to me, "If I didn't know any better, I would say you were pissed off at someone."

"Just because I took that bulls-eye out?" I asked with a laugh. "You should know by now that I have good aim."

"Believe me, I'm aware of that," said Javier, running a hand over his forehead. "Goblin help the monsters who get on your bad side."

I laughed as I glanced down at my wristwatch and said, "Wow, almost ten o'clock already? Thank goodness Fridays are our course-free days or else I'd be worried about sleeping in late and missing a morning lecture."

"Almost ten, huh?" Javier murmured before asking me, "What do you say we go on one ride before we head back to campus?"

"As long as it doesn't cause our dinner to make a reappearance, I'm game," I told him.

Javier grinned at me amusedly and led me over to a moving line forming underneath a giant wheel sporting a multitude of colours, glittering lights, and twelve motley cabins.

"A Ferris wheel?" I questioned in confusion. "Why a Ferris wheel?"

"You'll see," Javier simply told me.

"I really hope you're not considering pushing me off of it," I joked, "and here I thought we were having a good time."

"Oh, we are," Javier told me, "and it's about to get even better."

Fortunately, the line in front of the Ferris wheel was short and Javier and I soon found ourselves seated in one of its glowing cars, ascending towards the top at a gradual rate. The cabins were designed in such a manner that they somewhat resembled enlarged car seats that sat two monsters. The top half of the cars were exposed rather than topped with metal cages. While it gave us an unobstructed view of the dark sky above, it also gave me a minor case of acrophobia.

Fiddling with my claws resting over the safety bar that was clicked securely against us, I took a deep breath and exhaled in hopes of releasing the nerves that I felt bubbling in my stomach along with my digested dinner.

"Something wrong, chica?" Javier asked, clearly aware of how fidgety I was.

"I'm okay," I answered, turning to face him. "I'm just a little weary of the open car."

Before Javier could respond to that, the rotating wheel jerked to a sudden halt, causing me to fly forward forcefully into the safety bar. The law regarding the equal and opposite reaction had me collapsing back against the seat soon after.

"Whoa!" I gasped when I finally got air. I rested a hand over my chest, feeling my heart beat erratically against my ribcage.

"Easy there," said Javier gently, wrapping his upper right arm around my shoulders. "I've got you."

I leaned back against his arm, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. Closing my eyes, like I did whenever I cultivated mindfulness through meditation, I tried to focus more on my breathing and what I could detect with my other four senses. One thing that I felt was Javier rubbing the claws of his hands up and down my bicep in a way that I found very comforting.

I jolted upwards at the sound of repeated popping. I noticed the flashes of something bright behind my closed eyelids that accompanied the sounds.

"Open your eyes, chica," Javier encouraged. "You're missing out."

Flicking my eyes open, I realized that my and Javier's cabin was suspended at the very top of the Ferris wheel, the perfect viewing spot for the fireworks that had begun to illuminate the night sky. Many of the explosions of colour resembled dandelions, but a select variety formed intricate designs such as stars, pinwheels, and wreaths.

Any anxiety that had been plaguing my thoughts and bones, whether it stemmed from upcoming midterms or from the little episode of acrophobia moments earlier, slowly faded away. Taking the time to relish in the present – watching the beautiful display of bursting hues, away from the responsibilities of school and work – was immensely refreshing and badly-needed. The company, I was willing to admit, was an added bonus.

"You okay?" Javier spoke up, patting my arm lightly.

I smiled, keeping my gaze on the jaw-dropping show above. Hugging the plush bug closer to my chest, I whispered loudly enough for Javier to hear, "I've never been better."


	11. Published

Making Our Mark

Chapter 11: Published

* * *

"Will you quit staring at me like that, Johnny?" I snapped, looking up from my half-eaten salad with annoyance. "It's quite creepy."

Johnny, who was hunched over in the armchair of his frat house's living room, continued to study me with his two judgmental eyes like he had been doing since I had stopped by the house earlier in the afternoon. "Something's wrong with you."

"For the twenty-sixth time, bro, my mind is as sharp as ever," I reminded him with an exasperated sigh.

"Twenty-sixth?" Johnny questioned in disbelief.

"Time you've questioned my sanity since the start of the semester," I informed him. "Believe me, I've kept track."

Johnny tilted his head at me in puzzlement. "Can you blame me after this second home-cooked meal in a week?"

"Hey, you said you were craving something Greek," I noted, pointing my fork at him. "I figured some meaty gyros and a Greek salad with rotten feta cheese would satisfy that."

"And satisfy it did!" Bruiser exclaimed, licking his tzatziki-drenched claws from his place on the couch. "Best gyro I've ever had!"

"Thanks, Bruiser," I said with a kind smile before giving Johnny a pointed look. "At least _someone_ appreciates my efforts."

"Hey, I never said I didn't," Johnny pointed out. "I'm just surprised."

"Oh, you hear that, Rios?" I asked, turning to the monster with whom I shared the loveseat. "This is the second time in a week that I surprised Johnny."

"I better call the Campus Roar," said Javier as he pretended to lower his plate of food in a hurry.

"Ha ha," said Johnny mockingly. "Seriously though, this is the second home-cooked meal that you've made since last weekend when you warned me that this wasn't going to be a regular thing."

"What can I say?" I said, shrugging my shoulders. No one needed to know that the monster sitting next to me had me smiling since the night before. "I'm in a good mood lately."

"Well, if that good mood lasts throughout this weekend, how about dumplings?" Johnny suggested, wiggling his bushy eyebrows. "You didn't spend three months in Cryna and learn nothing."

"Ooh, dumplings!" Chet piped up eagerly from his spot on the floor in front of the couch.

"I could go for some," Sulley chimed in from atop the couch's chaise.

"Her eel-stuffed ones are the best," Johnny bragged to his frat brothers and frat brother-to-be.

I rolled my eyes, only for them to fall onto the analog clock on a nearby wall and I was alarmed to see that it read quarter to seven in the evening.

"You okay, sis?" Johnny asked, seeing me bolt off of the loveseat.

"Yeah, I just lost track of time," I said, placing my bowl onto the mahogany coffee table in front of us. "My advanced-level Latin Fusion dance class starts in fifteen minutes and I still have to set up."

"How are those going?" Chip asked curiously. He seemed to be one of the only two RΩRs, with the other being Javier, who genuinely cared about what was going on with my newest undertaking.

"Great so far," I answered, slipping my messenger bag over my shoulder. "I had about a dozen students come to my beginner-level class and about half of that come to the intermediate-level one."

Chip nodded. "How many are you expecting tonight?"

"Just one as far as I know," I replied with a subtle look at Javier.

Javier winked at me before casually taking another bite of his gyro, giving his frat brothers the impression that he was in no hurry to be anywhere.

"Well, hope that monster shows up on time," said Johnny. "No one keeps a Worthington waiting."

"No one takes advantage of a Worthington's cooking skills either," I told him with a smirk, "but you just love doing that lately, don't you?"

Johnny chuckled heartily. "Get out of here, sis."

"I get it, you've gotten your food, so I'm no longer needed here," I sighed dramatically before heading for the door. "Later, guys."

"Thanks for the food, Danica!" Bruiser called out through a mouthful of chewed-up meat.

"No problem, Bruiser," I laughed. Meeting Javier's eyes again, I gave him a meaningful nod before exiting the house and shutting the door behind me.

* * *

One mad dash from Frat Row to the fitness center later, I found myself in Studio D with my dance shoes strapped on, my laptop hooked up to the speakers, and my jacket and bag tucked into one of the cubbies. Flipping open my laptop, I began scrolling through my playlists of Latin music, wanting to get into the zone before my first lesson with Javier.

As a blend of electronic and Latin music began pumping from the speakers, I walked onto the middle of the floor, pulling my hair into an upper ponytail with my claws and securing it tightly with a scrunchie that I wore on my wrist. Gazing forward with smouldering eyes at my reflection in one of the mirrors, I jumped straight into improvising a fun and spicy Latin jazz number that reflected the fusion of music genres in the song that I had chosen.

From performing various salsa steps to tilting into side splits, I easily danced to the beat of the song. The lyrics that flowed from the female singer's lips were as enticing as the melody, both which motivated me to move my body in more tantalizing ways. I put an additional twist into my hips, did slower and more deliberate body rolls, and found a few occasions to sharply whip my ombre waves. For every brief pause in the melody, I would strike a different pose, each as bold as my personality.

Although fully aware of the sudden presence of another monster in the room, I continued to move confidently around the floor as though I owned it. I could feel eyes on me as I performed a series of slow cha chas to the beat, putting a greater emphasis on my hips and my toned backside. When the song neared its end, I executed a quick spin and stopped to face the entrance to the studio, my arms slowing to a fluid stop in the air before gradually descending.

"Dios mio," said Javier as he crossed through the open doorway, "I sense that I'll be in for quite the challenge in this class."

"I hope you're up for it," I teased, resting my hands proudly on my hips.

"Well, I already signed up and paid the fee for the semester," said Javier with a casual shrug of his shoulders and a playful smile, "It's too late to back out now."

"I guess you're stuck with me then," I told him with an evil grin. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I know you won't," said Javier as he tossed his duffel bag against one of the walls.

"I see you're dressed for the class," I remarked, alluding to the red buttoned shirt with long sleeves and a collar that he had donned rather than his signature RΩR cardigan.

"Anyone who has taken a ballroom class knows to dress classy, even for practises," Javier explained.

"Did Johnny question why you left the house dressed like that?" I asked.

Walking over to me, Javier shook his head and said, "I changed when I got here."

Tilting my head at him, I smirked. "Are you trying to impress me?"

"I don't have to try, chica," Javier told me, smiling victoriously. "I already succeeded."

"How can you be so sure?" I questioned with an inquisitive gaze.

"You've haven't threatened to kill me in weeks," Javier pointed out.

"Give it time, Rios," I warned him playfully.

Javier chuckled. "Well, until then, shall we get started?"

"We shall," I answered. "Since you're my only student for this class, I hope you don't mind having me for a partner."

"Trust me, I don't mind," said Javier, grinning slyly.

"Of course you don't," I murmured knowingly with a smile. "Well, let's consider our runs to get here the warm-up and move on to the dancing. I would like to start off by seeing how much you already know."

"What do you wanna know?" Javier asked.

Reflecting on my laid-out plans that I had drafted for the class, I asked, "How good are you at the tango?"

"Fairly decent," Javier answered nonchalantly, though the smirk on his face betrayed his feigned humbleness.

"Hmm," I hummed in curiosity. "Can you show me?"

"Claro," said Javier, offering me his upper right hand.

I smiled before stepping forward and allowing him to take my right hand in his left and rest his right around my back, just past my spine. I positioned my left hand around Javier's upper right arm, so it was pressing upwards from underneath.

"What do you want to do, chica?" Javier asked, shifting his left arm so his elbow appeared sharper.

Trying to ignore the feeling of my body being pressed so intimately against his, I said, "Let's start with a progressive link, followed by a fallaway whisk."

Javier nodded and turned his head, so he was facing diagonally to the wall on his left. He looked unfazed by my use of partner dance terminology, which told me that he knew what he was doing and not pretending to make himself better in my eyes.

"On my count," I told him, backing diagonally to the wall on my left.

After counting us in, Javier quickly shifted his left foot forward into the contra body movement position, keeping his heel flat and his alignment diagonally to the wall. At the same time, I moved into the same position as his, except that I moved my right foot back in a ball heel step, maintaining an alignment backing diagonally to the wall.

On the second step, we transitioned into promenade position; Javier moved his right foot to the side and slightly back against the line of dance, keeping his left knee turned inward while I stepped slightly back to the left and pointed my right knee inward, all in time with his steps.

With both of us in the promenade position, we executed the fallaway whisk; Javier moved his right foot forward, compressing his body in a turn to the right. I placed my left foot forward, my alignment now pointing diagonally to the wall and my body facing the line of dance, before following him into the turn. Javier then shifted his alignment by moving his left foot back and slightly to the side, so that it was backing diagonally to the wall while I moved my right foot forward, continuing in the turn, so that I was now facing diagonally to the wall. Going into the fallaway position, Javier moved his right foot to the side and slightly forward, his alignment now pointing towards the line of dance. I allowed him to guide me into the fallaway position as I shifted my left foot back and slightly to the side, changing my alignment diagonally towards the wall again. To finish off the fallaway whisk, Javier crossed his left foot behind his right in the fallaway position, keeping his toe turned in and his alignment pointing diagonally to the wall. I moved into the same position by crossing my right foot behind my left.

"Back corte with open ending," I instructed before counting us in.

For the first step, Javier moved his left foot to the side, turning his shoulders firmly to the right, so that he was facing the wall. Keeping up with him, I moved my right foot to the side, turning my shoulders to the right equally as strongly, so that I was facing diagonally to the center. We then moved together with a slight turn into another contra body movement position, with Javier moving his right foot back and me moving my left foot forward. Javier moved his left foot to the side and slightly forward while I moved my right foot to the side and slightly back. We completed the turn with Javier's right foot closing to his left foot and my left foot closing to the right.

"Outside swivel with closed ending," I followed up.

After counting us in again, Javier and I moved into another closed contra body movement position; he moved his left foot back, keeping his toe turned in and his right foot in front while I moved my right foot forward and then closed my left foot slightly behind without adding weight. In the same position, Javier moved his right foot forward and across while I moved my left foot forward and across, our alignments diagonally to the wall and to the line of dance respectively. To finish the turn that we were doing, Javier shifted so that our knees were veering inwards, with him moving his left foot to the side and me moving my right to the side, both without adding weight.

Pulling away from Javier, I gave him a quick look-over and nodded my head approvingly. "You're pretty good, Rios."

Javier chuckled, gazing at me with interest. "You're not so bad yourself, chica."

"I should hope not," I quipped, resting my hands on my hips again, "or else Violet would have to reconsider hiring me."

"If she does, I would probably quit," Javier admitted.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Take it however you wish," was Javier's response, yet his wink at me confirmed that I was right.

"Only if you can take a little constructive criticism," I told him with a grin.

"For what?" Javier asked with an amused smile.

"Well, for starters," I began as I took his left hand with my right and rested my left back under his upper right arm, "you need to work on your frame."

* * *

Following his first Latin Fusion dance class of the school year, Javier darted into one of the building's changing rooms to slip out of his dressy attire while I packed up my laptop and dance shoes. By the time we left the fitness center at ten after eight, Javier was sporting his RΩR cardigan and had his duffel bag strapped to his shoulder, giving any passing monsters the impression that he had been to the gym rather than to a dance class.

"I gotta say, Rios," I began as we walked, "I'm pleased that you were open to my constructive criticism."

"It's nothing different from Professor Knight correcting me on my scaring techniques," Javier pointed out.

"I do it because I want you to be aware of where and how you can improve," I explained gently.

"Professor Knight is the same way," Javier mentioned, "but you're nicer when giving feedback than he is."

I laughed at that. "Am I?"

Javier nodded. "Let's just say that Bruiser's ears will never be the same again."

"What did he do?" I asked, gaping at him in surprise.

"Not too sure," Javier replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's hard to tell what that guy says sometimes."

"Very true," I agreed, remembering my own previous conversations with him, some which were muddled at times.

"All I could make out was that Professor Knight yelled at him for something earlier today," Javier continued.

"He seemed okay during dinner," I remarked before biting my lip in concern.

"That's because he's tough," Javier assured me. "He's a RΩR."

At the mention of Roar Omega Roar, Javier and I spotted the members of it approaching the point at which the roads to the fitness center and Frat Row intersected ahead. Johnny, having seen us, called out to me and hurried in our direction. Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Sulley were hot on his tail, literally and figuratively.

Javier chuckled at his frat president's behaviour. "He seems happy to see you."

"And I don't have food in my hands," I murmured with raised eyebrows. "That's a first."

"Hey, sis," said Johnny once he was within hearing distance, "why didn't you tell me that you wrote for the school paper?"

If my eyebrows rose any higher, they probably would have fallen off of my face. "I don't."

"Then explain this," said Johnny, handing me the newspaper that was in his hands.

Accepting the copy of the Campus Roar, I studied it closer and noticed that it had been flipped to the front page of the culture section, specifically the page on reviews. My heart sank when I spotted a passage of words that I was more than familiar with.

 ** _Love and Human Remains: Simplicity at Its Finest_**

 ** _By: Danica Worthington_**

 ** _Monsters University's production of_ Love and Monster Remains _by Brad Fearser can be described as a harmonious fusion of comedy and dark thriller that takes viewers along for the ride in the characters' quest for love and purpose in a city plagued by a serial killer. What is remarkable about the production is the usage of minimal lighting and a simple set design, both which draw attention to other components of the production. Without that simplicity, the production would unfold to an exaggerated degree and overshadow the strengths exhibited by the performance space and the cast._ _The cast, through an extensive use of performance space, portrayed a group of friends and lovers who are candid in their hearts' desires and strong-willed in the face of challenges._**

 ** _Vulnerability of the strong appears to be a major theme in this play and is exhibited by all of the characters, but most notably by David and Candy. Although these ex-lovers appear to be bold and tenacious near the beginning of the play, the heart-wrenching struggles that they face over the course of a series of events unveils the extent of their vulnerability as monsters; they simply want to find love with people who will love them in return._**

 ** _The open performance space features a white, multi-level stage that contrasts with the black backdrop, the latter used to reflect the dark thriller genre of the play and the events that would unfold during it. The vast amount of performance space accommodates different settings in the play and are easily distinguishable from one another based on the groups of white furniture that remain in place throughout the entire play: the futon and coffee table showcases the living room of David and Candy's residence while the table and two chairs on a different level nearby serves as the restaurant where David works. A white comets streaks across the dark backdrop for the duration of the play, seemingly symbolizing David and Candy releasing their bottled-up desires to find love and purpose in their lives as the play progresses. The lights, a simple selection of orange and aquamarine blue, casts a soft glow over the performance space that adds either a dose of intimacy or an ominous mood depending on the context._**

 ** _From my seat three rows from the stage, it was easy to view all seven cast members at once. Even when they were together on stage, the character to focus on at a given moment, whether the character is narrating or acting, is the one bathed in yellow light while the other characters simply remained motionless and bathed in the blue light, clear indications of who is in the scene and who is not. What characterizes a strong performance of a character is the cast member's ability to elicit emotions from the audience in attendance. Taylor Brimner, who plays Jerri, uses a mixture of body language and tone of voice to portray her character's obsessive love disorder to the point that it elicits sympathy one moment and annoyance and hatred the next. Cole Reid's performance as David stood out the most; the manner in which he projects his voice throughout the vast performance space promotes an air of power that surrounds him while his sharp and witty tongue brings dashes of comedy to different events throughout the play._**

 ** _Overall, Davies' production of Love and Human Remains is a prime example of simplicity at its finest. The set, although basic in design, evokes a lot of symbolism with regards to the theme of the play and draws attention to the talent possessed by the cast. The top-notch acting of the cast and their extensive use of the performance space capture the attention of the audience. This comedy-dark thriller fusion keeps you on the edge of your seats and leaves you desiring more._**

"This is my assignment for my Pedagogy of the Arts class," I whispered audibly.

"I didn't know you planned on submitting it to the Campus Roar," said Javier as he peered over my shoulder at the publication.

"I didn't," I told him, wondering how the campus's press got a hold of my assignment. Aside from me, the only other monster who possessed a copy of my critique was Professor Guindon. It then hit me what her 'stop' was prior to attending a showing of the play the night before.

Javier must have been studying my facial expression because he said, "But you know who did, don't you?"

I nodded a bit sadly. "My professor for the class. That conversation that we had the night before, she asked me if she had my permission to share it."

"It's too good not to be shared," said Johnny with an air of satisfaction. "I'm glad she shared it."

"I thought she would share it with her colleagues, not with the entire campus," I groaned, staring at my published work as though it would be set aflame if I stared long enough at it.

"You're should be thrilled, sis," Johnny told me, either oblivious to how I was feeling at the moment of aware of it and deciding to shrug it off. "Do you know how many people try to get their work published in the school paper?"

"You pretty much have to bribe the editors if you want something that they think is crap published," Chet explained.

"And I know you're not one to do that," said Johnny, "meaning you got your work in by your own merits. Do you have any idea how proud that makes me?"

"Word on Frat Row is that tickets are selling out fast, especially since this is the last week that this play is being performed," Sulley shared.

"My sister is taking names!" Johnny proclaimed in absolute delight. "Way to show everyone what a Worthington can do!"

"I was lucky to score a set of tickets for tonight's show," Chip spoke up. "Any of you guys interested in checking it out?"

"Hey, it would look terrible on me if I didn't see something that my sister wrote about in the school paper," said Johnny. "Count me in."

"Me too!" Chet chirped, clearly game for whatever Johnny wanted to do.

"I'll come," Sulley added.

"Want to join us, Jav?" Chip asked.

By that point, I was quite the distance away to hear whatever Javier's response was to Chip's question. I had no set destination in my clouded mind; I simply let my feet carry me off without as much as a goodbye.

* * *

The sun began setting on the horizon behind the campus clock tower, creating a fusion of warm hues in the sky. This led to a slight drop in temperature, making the weather noticeably cooler, yet still warm for an early October.

I sat by the river near the troll bridge, hugging my knees to my chest and resting my head atop them. Looking across the river, I could see Sonia, Nancy, and Nadya from Eta Hiss Hiss seated together on the grass, peering over a copy of the Campus Roar. A glance at the bridge told me that the two frat brothers for Gamma Roar Roar leaning against it were also reading the newspaper and I sighed. Chances were the entire campus would know about my last name come Saturday morning, meaning that my time spent in obscurity would soon be coming to an end.

A light gust of wind blew, causing the newspaper that was sitting on my bag next to me to fly into my face. I angrily wrenched it off and glared at it. The printed words from my performance review stared back at me, mocking me, reminding me of the impending fame that I didn't want and wouldn't be able to get rid of. Growling menacingly, I chucked it to the side, only for it to collide with a familiar pair of purple feet.

Reaching downward, Javier picked up the paper and met my eyes.

"Sorry, Rios," I muttered.

Javier flashed me a small, reassuring grin. "At least it's not a human child."

I sighed again. "A human child wouldn't broadcast my full name across the campus like a bullhorn."

Javier's grin faded as he lowered himself to the patch of grass next to me, placing his duffel bag in front of him. "Is that why you're pissed off, because the campus now knows who you are?"

"And if they don't, they will soon enough," I said with a groan. "I wish I was better prepared for how to cope with this."

"Cope with what?" Javier asked. "The attention that comes with being a published writer?"

"No, the attention that comes with being a Worthington," I elaborated, spitting out my last name as though it was toxic. "I mean, I knew that monsters would find out my last name eventually. I just didn't think it would be so soon."

"Why does everyone knowing your last name bother you?" Javier inquired curiously.

"Because that's all monsters care about," I explained bitterly. "Worthington is popularity to aspiring Scarers, free publicity to businesses, and a vast bank account to wannabe friends and partners. Do you have any idea how many monsters have only wanted to hang out with me because they thought I would pay for everything or open doors for them?"

Javier probably sensed that my question was a rhetorical one, so he simply shook his head silently in response.

"Johnny relishes in everything that our family name brings him because all he cares about is fame and being liked and well-known like the Worthingtons before us," I continued, staring ahead at the river in front of me. "He's the heir to the Worthington name and wants to live up to it."

"No kidding," Javier agreed.

"But I don't want to live up to anyone or anything," I added rather passionately. "I don't want to be liked for my last name. I don't want to be liked just because of the family that I was born into."

"So that's why you've purposely not mentioned your last name whenever you meet new monsters," Javier murmured understandingly.

I nodded as much as I could with my head on my knees. "It's been hard meeting new monsters and trying to figure out who genuinely likes me for me. I figured if they don't know my last name, they'll treat me normally and get to know me for me."

Javier paused before asking, "Does it work?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Take Brynn for example. We met during our first class and got to know each other over lunch, and she seemed to like me. Even though she learned during that lunch that I was a Worthington, she insisted that her perception of me didn't change."

"She learned what your last name was that soon after meeting you?" Javier asked, sounding slight surprised.

I let out a small laugh. "She thought Johnny was hot and I had to explain why I disagreed."

Javier laughed.

"Anyway, she hasn't treated me any differently since," I continued. "If anything, I think we've gotten closer."

Javier smiled. "Kind of like we have?"

I cracked a tiny smile of my own as I turned to look at him. "I suppose you can say that."

"If it makes you feel any better, I liked you the minute I saw you on that first night," said Javier, nudging me gently.

"Before you knew I was a Worthington?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Sí," Javier answered honestly. "You could have been Danica Smith and I would have still hit on you like I did."

"Well, if I was Danica Smith, I would have still given you the claw," I admitted openly.

Javier chuckled. "I wouldn't have expected anything less."

"I suppose being Danica Smith would probably have been much simpler compared to being Danica Worthington," I mused. "Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of who I am, but my name makes it more challenging to be my own monster, to be just me."

"This is you," said Javier, holding out the newspaper, so my published passage was facing me.

I hesitated to take the paper into my hands as though it was a lethal toy ball belonging to a human child that would corrode my flesh down to my bones if it came into contact with me.

"This is a reflection of you," Javier told me, giving the paper a light flick. "Not of Johnny Worthington the First, not of Johnny Worthington the Second, not Johnny Worthington the Third, but of the one and only Danica Worthington."

For the first time in a very long time, I smiled at the mention of my full name. Most of the time, it was said in fascination, with a sneer, or knowingly. From Javier's mouth, it sounded different, more endearing, and precious even.

"She's a talented dancer, incredibly brilliant, fiery when she wants to be, and beautiful from the outside down to the core," Javier continued, gazing down at me rather admiringly. "I think those things and more make her pretty damn special."

"And more?" I asked, eyeing him in interest.

"I don't have all night to go on, chica," Javier teased.

"Shame," I said with feigned disappointment before glancing back at the paper. "Do you think Johnny will mind if I keep that?"

"I doubt he'll miss it," Javier told me, slipping the paper into my waiting hand. "He already has the bragging rights."

"Thanks, Rios," I said, "for the paper and for the talk."

"De nada," Javier replied, watching me. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Better than I was five minutes ago."

"Good to hear," said Javier as he grabbed his bag and pushed himself back to his feet.

I tucked the newspaper into my bag, hoping to save it for my portfolio, before I graciously accepted Javier's outstretched hand and allowed him to pull me back to my feet.

"So, with the RΩRs off to see that play, it means I'm free tonight," said Javier, keeping my hand in his. "How about I treat the talented, brilliant, fiery, and beautiful chica to some ice cream?"

"Chocolate claw cookie dough?" I asked hopefully, suddenly craving for it something fierce.

"Whatever you want," Javier promised, squeezing my hand affectionately.

As we took off on a leisurely stroll towards the closest ice cream parlour to campus, a thought crossed my mind that, finally, I was not afraid to deem as true: I was falling for Javier, and Goblin, I was falling hard.


	12. Midterm

Making Our Mark

Chapter 12: Midterm

* * *

"What was the answer to _la didascalia_?" Brynn asked as we exited the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities after a midterm spanning an hour and twenty-minutes. That was the maximum time that we were given to complete it, but we were allowed to leave earlier if we had finished sooner. Although I had finished early, I chose to remain behind until the very end. Brynn, too, was among the last of the students to leave the room.

"Los indicadors escénicos, tals como los indicios de sitio ou de tiempo," I recited from memory with ease.

"Shoot," Brynn muttered. "I thought that was for _el lenguaje corporal_."

"Los gestos," I defined, shaking my head. "Those are written in italics a majority of the time in play scripts."

Brynn heaved a sigh of dismay. "Damn, monsters weren't kidding when they said Professor Rocasolano's exams were doozies."

"That might explain why so many monsters looked so grumpy when they left," I mentioned, "and they left way before we did."

"You sound like you kicked some major tail on it though," said Brynn, "so why did you stay for the entire time?"

"I had time to spare, so I figured I would put the exam aside for a moment and then read over everything again," I explained. "I was in no hurry. If I'm given an hour and twenty minutes, I have every right to use all of that time if I want to."

Brynn nodded, her interest piqued at my approaching to test-taking. "Did that help?"

"It actually did help because I caught quite a number of grammatical errors within my essay that I was able to fix," I revealed. "Incorrect verb conjugations, missing accents, and all that jazz."

"I always thought it would make you second guess everything," said Brynn.

"For some monsters, such an approach might, but for me, reading it over doesn't always make me second guess my answers," I admitted, "but if I do start to question something that I put down, I leave it as it is unless I know for sure that I should change it because, more often than not, my first instinct was right."

Brynn sighed deeply again. "You know how much Professor Rocasolano lectured on the two topics that wound up as choices for the essay portion of the exam?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I had a good feeling that those would be the choices for the essay because the content could easily be broken down into three body paragraphs. That Goblin I focused heavily on them when I was reviewing."

"Yeah, well, it took me a while to figure out which topic I could remember more of and could write more on," Brynn shared.

"And?" I asked, encouraging her to continue.

"I didn't like my odds for either topic," Brynn confessed sheepishly. "I was lucky that I put down all that I did."

I smiled sympathetically as we passed the School of Business. "Here's hoping then that we both did fairly decent."

"If you're up for a Blort back at the EEK house, I'll drink to that," said Brynn.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed.

The topic of conversation changed from our finished midterm to our upcoming ones as we crossed the bridge and proceeded down the road to Frat Row. Brynn was feeling a bit apprehensive about her History of Scaring midterm later in the afternoon and, considering how tough her professor for the course was reported to be, I couldn't blame her. She was, however, looking forward to our Spanish Language Training I midterm the following week, as was I. Given that the content that we were 'learning' was a repeat of that covered in high school, we could probably ace it without studying. I fully planned on studying for it though, just to be safe.

En route to our destination, monsters passing Brynn and me would wave and some even addressed me by my name, which I responded with waves and kind smiles of my own. The attention on me grew since my theatre critique got published in the campus newspaper and monsters started putting a name to a face, but the talk with Javier taught me to embrace it and who I was as a monster. I came to realize that my critique was definitely an asset to my growing portfolio of work, which would be a nice reflection of me when the time came to graduate and apply for teaching positions.

When Brynn and I arrived at Frat Row, I spotted a bunch of construction vehicles parked nearby on a plot of land that a rickety shack used to occupy. Massive piles of dirt and debris were pushed further away. It appeared that the land had just been cleared and a new foundation had been built. I silently wondered if a new fraternity or sorority had been founded or if an existing one was getting a new place. If it was the latter, I certainly hoped that the new house wasn't for Roar Omega Roar; their house was obnoxiously huge as it was and in great shape to boot, so I saw no reason for why they would need an upgrade.

"Oh, yeah, that's for Oozma Kappa," Brynn indicated, answering the question that had formed in my mind. "Carla told me that the Greek Council recently passed a motion to begin tearing down one of the old houses on Frat Row and rebuilding it as their new frat house."

"That's wonderful news," I said cheerfully, feeling happy for my friends. "The Oozmas must be thrilled."

"They are," Brynn replied, her face falling slightly, "but while there is enough funding in place to get the new building up by next summer, there won't be much left for furnishing it."

My face fell at the unfortunate news. When Oozma Kappa moved, they would only have their belongings to bring with them. Everything else that made up the house – furniture, dinnerware, lighting, and appliances – all belonged to Squishy's mother and, as generous as she was, she would probably draw the line at her son's fraternity taking her furnishings with them.

"Although the house is scheduled to be completed by mid-summer, there isn't enough money to fill it with furniture," said Brynn mournfully. "I wouldn't blame the Oozmas for choosing to not move into an empty house with not much to bring to it."

"Have they thought about fundraising?" I suggested, admiring the stacks of new timber and tan-coloured bricks still atop one of the construction trucks.

"Carla brought it up and everyone seemed to think it was a good idea," Brynn explained, "but Johnny pointed out that the council already had their hands full with finalizing everything for the Scare Games and for the campus-wide talent show next semester, and that it wouldn't be wise to take on additional projects if they couldn't fully commit to them."

"Of course he would say that," I mumbled, frowning at Johnny's opposition to a fundraiser that benefitted Oozma Kappa. It didn't surprise me that he disliked the Oozmas and would no sooner agree to raise money for the construction of their frat house than he would willingly stick his tail inside a wood chipper. "How much more is needed to furnish the house?"

"About ten grand," Brynn answered and nodded grimly at my eyes widening. "Less will probably be needed if they get second-hand things, but even used furniture and appliances add up."

"Tell me about it," I murmured. Even though I came from a wealthy family, I still believed ten grand to be a huge amount of money.

"The Greek Council is doing what they can with the funds that they do have," Brynn continued, "but unless they can come up with a way and a time to raise more money, Oozma Kappa's new house will just be an empty building."

I sighed at the empty plot of land before me, my thoughts drifting back to Oozma Kappa. Although I was pleased that a majority of the Greek Council seemed to finally agree that the fraternity was just as much a part of the campus community as the others to the point that they began building them a house on Frat Row, it was heartbreaking for me to learn that they might not get a chance to move into it, perhaps ever if Johnny and whoever succeeded him as President of Roar Omega Roar got their way. I suddenly felt motivated to do whatever I could to help raise the funds to furnish their new house. When and how I was going to go about doing that was another story.

Brynn nudging me snapped me out of my brainstorming. She nodded her head towards the RΩRs who were heading in our direction. Johnny, as always, was leading the group, with Chet and Reggie behind him, and Chip and Javier bringing up the rear. Sulley was unusually absent, which didn't bother me as being in his presence had me rolling my eyes so much that I was worried that they would eventually fall out of their sockets.

"Hey, sis," Johnny greeted as he reached us. He winked at Brynn and added, "Larson."

Brynn blushed slightly as she gave a small wave back.

"Hey, guys," I said, shaking my head at Brynn's sudden lack of composure.

"How was your first midterm?" Javier spoke up.

I smiled at his incredible memory and thoughtfulness, two qualities that I recently learned he possessed. "It was good."

Brynn scoffed. "That's being humble." She looked to Javier and said, "She probably aced it."

"Thank you for not bringing shame to our family," said Johnny gratefully.

"Well, one of us has to make Mom and Dad proud," I quipped, eliciting a laugh from Javier.

"Ha ha, very funny, sis," Johnny grumbled sarcastically as his gaze, now curious, shifted to the side.

I turned as well to see Roy hobbling past us, wearing an expression of immense pain on his face. When my eyes met his, I smiled innocently, causing him to gulp and speed up his pace, seemingly wanting to put as much distance between him and me as possible, but that appeared to only intensify the pain that he was experiencing.

"Wonder what happened to Big Red," Johnny muttered with folded arms.

"Oh, that," I said, watching the monster in question grimace in pain with every step that he took. "That was my doing."

I suddenly felt the bulging eyes of Brynn and the RΩRs on me, with Javier being the first to snap out of his stunned state and ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"He tried chatting me up again while I was on my way to my midterm," I explained, "and got very handsy, I might add."

"He did what?" Johnny roared in outrage, causing Brynn to flinch at the high volume of his voice. Being the older one of the two of us, Johnny was very protective of me, even though I had told him time and time again that I could take care of myself. The lengths that he would go to in order to ward off any potential harm directed at me were extreme and, to my utmost surprise, has yet to land him in jail.

"I warned him to back off, but he didn't," I continued, "so I just kneed him in the balls."

Chet winced at whatever he was picturing in his mind. "Wow."

Johnny, somewhat calmer now, took another look in Roy's direction before he chuckled and said, "You must have done a real number on him because he just walked into a lamp post."

Javier laughed at the sight and said, "Better not mess with you then, chica."

I gave Johnny a look of confidence. "Told you I could take care of myself."

"Well, thanks, sis, you just did us a huge favour," said Johnny, much happier now at the sight of a pain-inflicted Roy. "With Big Red injured, JΘX doesn't stand a chance tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked inquisitively.

"The Greek Council's annual bowling night," Johnny explained. "Midway through every fall semester, the frats and sororities gather to compete in a bowling tournament."

"It gives us a chance to destress from midterms and have some fun," Chip added.

"Wanna come out tonight?" Johnny asked, holding his head high in pride. "You know, to support the best team there is?"

"Sure," I chirped before smiling at Brynn. "I'm sure Slugma Slugma Kappa will appreciate a cheerleader."

"Ouch, chica," Javier remarked with a hand over his chest. "I thought we were friends."

"We are," I assured him, even though I was open to us being more than that. "I just like messing with you."

Brynn laughed. "Your loyalties are torn, aren't they? Your best friend is in Slugma Slugma Kappa and your brother is in Roar Omega Roar. Who will you root for?"

I shrugged. "It won't be a crime to cheer for both."

"Does that mean you'll be there then?" Javier asked hopefully.

I smirked at his eagerness. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

Monstropinz, a bowling alley that was just a twenty-minute drive from Monsters University, boasted seventy long lanes, cosmic lighting that bathed the interior in a soft neon glow, upbeat music that kept everyone's energy up, and some of the tastiest and greasiest finger food known to monster kind. The noisiest area of the alley was to the far left where the Greek Council had reserved the first twelve lanes for the participating fraternities and sororities.

From my place at a table behind a partial brick wall separating a carpeted area from the lanes themselves, I had a good view of the entire Greek community in attendance. Seated across from me were Claire and Brock, the President and Vice President of the Greek Council respectively. Speaking with them over a pitcher of Blort revealed them to be quite opposites; while Claire was outright emotionless and cynical, Brock was overly enthusiastic and optimistic. It amazed me how well they got along and worked together despite their clashing personalities.

Brock took a big gulp of his glass and sighed in satisfaction. "Another good bowling night, eh, Claire?"

"Wonderful," Claire responded drearily, running a claw absentmindedly along the rim of her glass.

"Everyone seems to be having a good time," I agreed. "You two did a fantastic job organizing it."

"Thanks, Worthington!" said Brock, his proud voice booming throughout the area.

I smiled kindly, no longer phased by someone addressing me by my last name.

"It's a shame Oozma Kappa didn't show up," Claire murmured before taking a sip.

I nodded sadly, eyeing the only reserved lane that remained unoccupied. When I ran into Don earlier in the afternoon and asked if I would be seeing him and the rest of Oozma Kappa at the Greek Council's annual bowling night, he looked uneasy at the very mention of it and stuttered that they already had plans that night. Although I sensed that he was not being entirely truthful, I didn't press him for more details. I knew that they still didn't feel welcomed enough by the Greek community to attend one of its social events and I wasn't about to pressure him and the rest of his fraternity into doing something that made them uncomfortable.

"They usually don't, but they should get out more!" said Brock encouragingly. "We always have fun!"

"Loads," Claire agreed, a dull expression gracing her dark features.

Turning back to me, Brock asked, "So, are you hoping that your brother's frat wins tonight?"

"If they do, I'd be happy," I answered as I refilled my glass, "but if another group wins, I'd be just as happy."

"The Slugma Slugma Kappa girls are the reigning champs, you know," said Claire plainly.

"Really?" I asked with a bright smile.

"Oh, yeah!" Brock exclaimed. "Three years running, they are, ever since Carla became the President."

"That's impressive," I commented.

"Totally," Claire drawled.

I took a sip of my drink and turned to the teams playing to watch them in action for a bit. Squinting at the screens hanging above the lanes, it appeared that all eleven teams were on their eighth frame at least. Slugma Slugma Kappa was in the lead, being the sports enthusiasts that they were, but Gamma Roar Roar wasn't too far behind. I wasn't surprised to see that Python Nu Kappa was in last place; after Carrie had broken a claw, the entire sorority refused to sink their perfectly-polished claws into the holes of the bowling balls, which hindered their performance greatly.

"Roar Omega Roar seems determined to take home the title and the gift certificate to the Monstropolis House of Pizza this year," said Brock in a dramatic fashion as though he was offering commentary on the event, "but they don't seem to be doing so hot."

"Horrific," Claire chimed in unenthusiastically.

Confused by the remarks, I looked over at the lane that Roar Omega Roar occupied and immediately sensed how off the team dynamic was. Sulley, with a neon green ball in hand, looked to be struggling in his concentration of the pins that lay ahead with Johnny glaring at his spotted back, his arms folded in front of him and his tail coiled in frustration. Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Javier were seated in chairs nearby and didn't look too happy at their newest recruit either for reasons that were unknown to me.

"They're third to last in terms of scores so far," Claire noted apathetically.

"Usually, they're way better than this!" Brock shouted with a grin. "They always give Slugma Slugma Kappa a run for their money!"

"Something's got them distracted," Claire mumbled.

I watched Sulley gulp nervously before sending his ball rolling down the lane. Unfortunately, his aim wasn't so great; the ball didn't last long on the lane before it rolled into the right gutter, evoking a growl of disappointment from Bruiser that was audible from my place at the table with Brock and Claire. Chet snarled at Sulley as the blue behemoth passed him on the way back to his seat. Chip rubbed the tips of his claws into his temple in irritation while Johnny shook his head repeatedly in a disapproving manner. Javier, who appeared drained, dragged a hand down his face and kept it there.

"Trouble in paradise?" Claire wondered.

"Better hope not!" Brock bellowed. "The Scare Games are only months away!"

"I have a calendar, Brock," Claire reminded him in annoyance. "No need to remind me every flipping day."

Ignoring his colleague, Brock announced, "Looks like the RΩRs are done the first round!"

Looking back, I heard Johnny growl at the flashing screen above that displayed his team's scores. Considering how well they typically performed, their scores could only be described as average, with Sulley's being the lowest of the six.

Johnny shot a deadly glare at Sulley before breezing through a hole in between two partial brick walls and storming off towards the bathroom. A disgruntled Chet followed Johnny while Chip and Bruiser shot Sulley dirty looks as they took off abruptly for the restaurant nearby, possibly to take their minds off of the events of the night with drinks. Javier groaned, making a beeline for the exit of the building.

Claire, who was totalling up the scores for Roar Omega Roar's first round of bowling on her clipboard, said, "They're breaking."

"A break's good!" said Brock hopefully. "Maybe that will help ease the tension!"

"I'm sure it will," said Claire. Given her demeanor, it was difficult to tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic.

I grew concerned watching Javier sail between the double doors that had slid open for him and said, "Would you please excuse me for a moment? I'm going to check on the RΩRs."

"Be my guest," said Claire with a dismissive wave of the hand that held her pencil.

"Good luck, sister!" Brock told me supportively.

After removing a plastic cup from the stack on the table and filling it with some Blort, I got to my feet and began walking towards the exit, being careful not to spill a drop. Once the double doors sensed me approaching, they slid open for me and I stepped outside to a semi-dark sky, a cool gust of wind, and a well-lit parking lot filled with vehicles of all sizes and models.

Javier was leaning against the building with his back to the wall. His four arms were crossed in front of him as he stared off into the distance with knitted brows. His entire body language was closed off, giving an aura of unapproachability. It appeared that anyone who dared to say a word to him would be risking the loss of a body part.

Bracing myself for a loud outburst similar to that of my brother's from earlier that morning, I slowly moved towards Javier, only to hold my breath in surprise when he whipped his head around to hiss at me, his entire body rattling as he did so. I took a step back, partly because I was a tad frightened by his response to my presence and partly because I wanted to give him some space should he need it.

"Oh, lo siento, chica," Javier grunted, relaxing almost immediately. "I thought you were Sulley."

"Sorry to disappoint you," I joked in an attempt to diffuse some of the tension that lingered in the crisp air.

"Believe me, you didn't," said Javier as he uncrossed his arms. "I'm always happy to see you."

I smiled and handed him the drink. "I thought you could use this."

Javier accepted the glass and said, "Gracias."

I watched him down the entire thing in one gulp and asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Javier asked, lowering the empty glass.

"You know what," I prompted gently. "Brock and Claire are worried. They, too, can see that something is off with you guys tonight."

"That's putting it lightly," said Javier, squashing the plastic glass with a clench of his fist. "Hope the rest of your day was better."

I nodded, staring at the squashed glass in hesitation as I contemplated my next reply. I decided not to pry and rather follow Javier's conversation cues in an effort to not worsen his mood. "Oh, it was productive. I studied some more and choreographed for my dance classes."

"Speaking of which," Javier began, cracking a smile at the mention of my dance classes, "we're still on for tomorrow night, right?"

"I am as long as you are," I told him as I emulated his stance against the wall. "We'll see if you can remember the suggestions for improvement that I gave you."

"Believe me, chica, I remember everything that comes from you," said Javier, winking at me.

I laughed. "Good, so you have no excuses from this point forward."

"Don't worry, I'm not Sullivan," Javier promised me, a hint of sourness now lacing his voice.

I raised an eyebrow at that. "What does Sulley make excuses for?"

"His bad grades," Javier explained bitterly. "He hasn't been doing too well on assignments and Goblin knows how he's doing on midterms."

"Is that so?" I asked. I was surprised to hear that Sulley, who came from a long line of Scarers like Johnny and I did, was performing poorly in his classes. The only explanation that I could come up with was he was lacking a good work ethic. Given how much he has partied since the start of the semester, I likely hit the nail on the head.

Javier nodded, his expression darkening. "He says it's only halfway through the semester and that he'll do better come finals."

I shrugged. "It's possible."

Javier looked uncertain at the probability of it as he continued, "If his grades are as crappy as his bowling is tonight, he won't be a part of RΩR much longer, even if he's a Sullivan."

I scoffed. "Does he think his name will save his tail?"

"He better not think that because it won't," Javier told me. "Your name means nothing if you don't have the grades to back it up."

"A fraternity with brains," I murmured with an amused smile. "That's a first."

"Can't say the same for Jaws Theta Chi," said Javier, giving me an appreciative smile. "By the way, thanks again for what you did to Big Red. His injury is still bothering him. He can't walk straight, let alone aim properly."

"I only did it because he couldn't keep his claws to himself," I said defensively, "not in support of RΩR."

"Still, I've never seen him get so many gutter balls in my life," Javier snickered. "He's almost as bad as Sulley."

"Well, hopefully he finally gets the hint," I said, leaning my head back in a manner that allowed me to gaze upward at the star-lit sky. "I'm not and never will be interested in him."

"Would you be interested in going out with _me_ this weekend?"

I looked back to Javier to find his mischievous eyes on me and I smirked knowingly. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"That depends," said Javier, pushing himself off of the wall with an air of casualness, "if you're up for it, then, yes, I am."

"And if I'm not up for it?" I asked, interested as to what his answer would be.

"Then you're hearing things," Javier replied, moving to stand in front of me, "and I didn't say anything."

I chuckled lightly. I knew from the moment we met that Javier was into me, that much was certain. I also knew that I wasn't very fond of him then and made that quite clear on more than one occasion. I didn't expect him to stick around for as long as he did. The longer he did, however, the more I found myself learning more about him as a monster and liking what I was learning along the way.

Any monster would have given up after being shot down so many times by me, but not Javier. No, that bug was as persistent as he was honest and as confident as he was patient. He knew what he wanted and what he needed to do to get it. He was determined to succeed at his pursuit, not to gain a prize, but because he genuinely valued what he was aiming to achieve. Quite commendable really.

The appropriate response to such an enticing invitation was obvious.

"When and where?" I answered easily.

Javier grinned triumphantly at the reply that he received. "How about Saturday at six? I'll pick you up."

I nodded affirmatively. "Then consider it a date, Mister Rios."

"Looking forward to it, Miss Worthington," Javier declared, regarding me tenderly.

It was at this point when I noticed just how close his body was to mine. My face was mere inches from his and I could feel his warm breath – a combination of mint and the Blort that he drank - brush against my skin. My eyes travelled from the fondness in his pink orbs to the smirk that graced his lips. I held my breath in anticipation as the distance between us grew smaller by each passing second.

The whooshing sound of the doors to the building sliding open caused Javier to quickly pull away from me and straighten up. Out the doors came Johnny who seemed to be looking for us. When looking left yielded nothing, he turned in our direction and said, "Jav, bro, there you are."

"Just went to get some air, amigo," Javier informed him.

"Well, hurry up!" Johnny demanded with a resolute expression on his face. "We have only the second round left to pull ahead!"

"Keep your horns on, bro," I told him with a sigh of exasperation. "We'll be right in.'

I watched Johnny looked from Javier to me and eye me suspiciously, probably wondering what we were up to outside, in the parking lot, by ourselves, for who knows how long. I had no intention of letting him into our business, so I just waved at him until he shook his head with a grumble and went back into the building.

"Wonder what he's thinking about," Javier murmured, watching the sliding doors close behind his fraternity president.

"I think he's just hoping that I won't do anything drastic to you that would help Slugma Slugma Kappa win," I said.

Javier snorted. "You won't, will you?"

"Of course I won't," I promised, smiling softly. "We have plans this Saturday after all."

Javier returned the smile. "That we do, chica. That we do."


	13. Tango

Making Our Mark

Chapter 13: Tango

* * *

I smiled at my reflection approvingly, particularly at the simple A-line dress that graced my figure. The bottom was made up of overlapping layers of taffeta and formed an asymmetrical hem around my knees while the top half consisted of a pair of spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. The colour choice, a solid red wine, was a contrast to the lavender strands of my ombre waves, but red was the colour of confidence for me and I looked pretty good in it.

During our dance lesson the night before, Javier refused to drop any major hints regarding his plans for our date, but did encourage me to wear comfy shoes. The almond-toe pumps of black velvet with ankle straps on my feet might have been painful for anyone, but since I typically danced in heels, I was used to the feeling of being in them. Plus, I already broke in the pair, so I figured that I would be able to survive the night in them as long as hiking wasn't part of the agenda.

The dorm phone ringing caused me to tear my eyes from my reflection. I scurried over to it to take the call. "Hello?"

 _"Miss Worthington, there is a Mister Javier Rios down here to see you."_

"Thank you, Mister Daniels," I said. "I'll be down in a moment."

" _My pleasure, Miss Worthington. I will let Mister Rios know that you are on your way."_

After hanging up, I grabbed my purse hanging behind the door. I made sure that my student card and some cash were inside before I left my room and headed for the elevator. As soon as I was in the elevator and felt it lowering, I exhaled to get rid of any lingering nerves that I felt in the pit of my stomach. In a way, I saw this night as just another opportunity to hang out with Javier. However, I also knew that it was more than that - it was our first official date, a huge milestone in our relationship timeline - and I wanted it to go well.

As the elevator came to a halt, I raised my head high and my shoulders back, projecting an aura of confidence that normally radiated from me under most circumstances. After the doors slid open, I exited and proceeded down the hallway to the lobby. Immediately upon arriving, I saw Javier standing by the front desk, watching the football game that was playing on the huge flat screen television hanging from the wall. A few residents of the building were also watching the game as they lounged leisurely on the tan leather couches.

As though he detected a new set of eyes on him, Javier turned towards me and smiled admiringly. "You look even lovelier than you usually do, chica."

"You don't look too bad yourself, Rios," I told him, tilting my head at him. "Are you finally going to tell me where we're going tonight?"

"First, to my bike," Javier answered, "and then you'll see."

* * *

The motorcycle ride from Monsters University to downtown Monstropolis, which took about twenty minutes, was quite enjoyable. I was thankful that the hem of my dress was long enough to sit on or else I would have ended up flashing the entire city whenever the layers of taffeta went flying in the wind. I had my arms wrapped around Javier's torso the entire time and I rested my chest against his back, much like I did the night we went to the carnival.

Before long, Javier pulled up to the front of an enormous white building that was illuminated by lights. A valet – a scrawny two-legged lizard with olive-green scales, a black leather vest, and a matching bowtie – eagerly stepped forward from his post by the main entrance to perform his duties. Once he shut off the engine, Javier climbed off of the motorcycle and offered me a pair of his hands like the chivalrous monster that I learned he was.

Being careful not to slip because of my choice in footwear for the night, I took his hands and allowed him to help me off, my heels hit the pavement with a click.

"Ever been to Harryhausen's?" Javier asked as he removed his helmet.

I took off my own and shook my head. "Never. I've heard good things about it though."

"Well, you can be the judge of that," Javier told me, "because we have reservations here tonight."

My eyebrow rose at the news. "Let me guess, all you had to do was call and say you were a Rios?"

"Well, to be fair," Javier began with a mischievous grin, "a snooty employee asked for my name when I called to make a reservation. She became nicer the moment I did and had no problem reserving a table for me. It's not like I used my name at the very beginning of the call."

"True," I agreed with a nod. "I would frown at that."

"Even if I did it because I wanted tonight to be awesome?" Javier asked curiously.

I smiled at his reasoning. "Rios, I already agreed to go out with you tonight. We could have hung out on campus, watching paint dry on a building wall, and I would still think of it as a good time. As long as we're hanging out, who cares what we do?"

"Would have been nice to know before I planned tonight," said Javier in a teasing manner.

I laughed. "Hey, you already made the reservation, so it would be in poor taste for us to go elsewhere. Besides, I've been wanting to try the food here."

Javier beamed, holding an elbow out to me. "Shall we then?"

"We shall," I agreed, taking his arm and nodding my thanks at the valet who would see to it that the motorcycle and helmets were properly stored.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was caught off guard a bit by all of the seated diners and the servers scattered around the establishment shouting at us simultaneously, "Get a paper bag!"

Javier chuckled at my dumbfounded expression. "They do that to anyone who walks in, so I've been told."

I smiled in amusement as the diners turned back to their meals and the servers went back to work within the restaurant. The entire establishment was decked out in velvety reds, creamy beiges, and rich browns. Some of the mahogany tables were spread out around the dining area while others were booths built into cozy nooks along the walls and draped with Jawpanese calligraphy written on pieces of red tapestry. Along the back was a long counter behind which a red octopus was whipping up assorted dishes with flicks of his tentacles and sliding them onto the counter for the servers to deliver. The focal point of the restaurant was the square-shaped koi pond in the middle of the room.

Approaching the hostess behind the podium, Javier spoke up, "Hello, we have a reservation for two under Rios."

The hostess – a purple Carla look-alike – smiled and asked, "Are you two interested in ordering entrées or a la carte for dinner?"

Javier looked to me and asked, "Which would you prefer, chica?"

I paused to consider the options before answering, "How about a la carte? It'll let us try everything."

"A la carte it is," Javier declared in a tone that sounded as official as our date was.

The hostess smiled again as she fetched a card from inside the podium and gestured for us to follow her. She glided towards an empty booth across from the koi pond as though the floor was made entirely out of frozen ice. Standing to the side of the booth, she waited patiently for us to seat ourselves.

Sliding into the booth, I marvelled at the cozy atmosphere while Javier sat himself on the bench across from mine. With the exception of two pairs of chopsticks wrapped in linen napkins that matched the tapestry hanging above us, the table was bare.

"Servers will come by shortly with food," the hostess told us, setting a card down onto the table. "Enjoy your time at Harryhausen's."

"Thank you," I said kindly.

The hostess gave us a joyful wave before drifting back to her post behind the podium. With her bright attitude, abundance of energy, and seemingly good work ethic, it seemed that she was born to work in a profession that dealt with customers every day. Being a hostess at Harryhausen's was definitely the perfect job for her.

Looking to the card on the table, I noticed that there was a green grid on it that was divided into four different sections based on dish size. Each section was comprised of numbered squares. A legend in the top right corner listed the prices for the dishes, which were based on size.

Javier, who was also studying the card, said, "I'm guessing the servers just note down everything we eat and total it up afterwards?"

"Seems like it," I said, looking up at him and smiling. "I'm excited to try some new food."

Javier grinned. "You seem adventurous with food."

"Oh, yeah," I answered eagerly. "That's why I enjoyed my exchange in Cryna. There was so much food to try over there."

"I can imagine," Javier murmured, his attentive gaze on me. "Anything you regret eating?"

I shook my head. "No, my philosophy is that you have to try something before you can form an opinion about it. Sure, there were some things that I didn't enjoy the taste of, but at least I tried them."

"Well, you only live once," Javier reminded me, "so you might as well be adventurous."

"Exactly," I said.

Before Javier could speak up again, one of the purple squid-like servers popped up next to our table, holding out a long rectangular tray full of a variety of dishes: some looked very meaty, some were topped with rotten vegetables, some were oozing slimy sauce, and some were just, well, indescribable. No dictionary in the world could help me accurately depict what was before me.

"Spider rolls, crispy fried carrion, slimy sashimi, howling hamachi, or caterpillar roll?" the server rattled off a list that he had no doubt memorized.

"Anything catches your eye, Rios?" I asked, watching him inspect the food before us.

"Aside from you, chica?" Javier teased with a wink towards me.

I laughed and said, "Anything _on the tray_ that catches your eye?"

"It all does actually," Javier admitted. "How about we try one of everything?"

"Sounds good to me," I agreed.

The server, having heard our request, proceeded to place one of each dish available on his tray onto our table, arranging them so that they were spread out in a row before us. He marked off the appropriate squares on our card before silently moving on to the next table of diners.

Unwrapping the napkin from his chopsticks, Javier asked, "Where should we start?"

As I picked up my chopsticks, I proposed, "How about we start on the far left and work our way to the right?"

"Works for me," said Javier as he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of the dark green rolls stuffed with rice and what looked like short black strings.

Sampling the same dish, I looked at Javier and raised my piece of sushi in a toast. "Here's to good eating."

Javier also held up his before we took bites at the same time and started chewing.

I immediately frowned at the odd taste staining my taste buds and stared at the half-eaten disaster between my chopsticks. "Ugh, what is this?"

Javier swallowed and asked, "Didn't like that one?"

I gave him a look and sarcastically asked, "What gave that away?"

"I'm guessing these are the spider rolls," said Javier, studying the half-eaten morsel between his chopsticks.

"Oh, finally, the tea's here," I announced with an air of relief as another purple squid with multiple appendages placed two porcelain cups and a matching teapot on the table. Placing my chopsticks down, I quickly expressed my thanks before filling my cup and downing it, ignoring the way that the steaming beverage burned my mouth and throat on the way down. If burning it got rid of the awful flavours that lingered inside me, then so be it.

Javier laughed at my behaviour as the server left. "That bad?"

I nodded as I poured more tea into my cup. "I don't think my intestines will ever be the same again."

Javier shrugged. "It's okay, but I can live without it. Hope I don't see it again."

"I'll drink to that," I said before taking a large sip of my refilled cup. Once I was rid of the foul taste in my mouth, I took the teapot again and filled Javier's cup. "Sorry about not filling your cup first."

"Does it really matter whose cup is filled first?" Javier asked, sounding surprised by my apology.

I nodded as I lowered the teapot back onto the table. "I'm not sure what Jawpanese tea etiquette is like but, in Cryna, it's considered proper tea etiquette to serve others before yourself."

"Interesting," Javier remarked before taking a sip of his tea. "It seems like you learned a lot there."

"Loads," I answered. "I always like learning, which probably explains why I want to be a teacher. I like to teach people what I learn about."

"I can tell you do from the dance classes," said Javier, plucking a piece of a different sushi roll off of its plate and holding it out to me. "Try this one."

I examined the deep-fried creation sitting between Javier's chopsticks closely. Hoping it tasted at least a smidge better than the first one, I opened my mouth and took the piece between my teeth. I brought my chopsticks up to take hold of it, so I could easily bite into it.

"What do you think?" Javier asked as he picked up another of the same roll.

I took a moment to chew and ponder the taste before swallowing it with a smile. "That one was much better."

Convinced by my review, Javier popped the entire piece into his mouth.

"It has a mild turnip-like flavour to it," I described, eyeing the piece up close. "I like that it's fried."

After chewing and swallowing, Javier grinned. "Delicioso."

"I think this is crispy fried carrion," I said before sliding the rest into my mouth. "It's really good."

"I agree with you there, chica," Javier added, reaching for another piece of the same dish.

I sat back and silently watched Javier eat, noting his hand placement on his chopsticks. It reminded me of something that my former Mandarin teacher said to me one day regarding the relationship between chopsticks and one's love life. Looking from his hand placement on his chopsticks to mine, I laughed lightly when I learned that they were the same.

Javier, who was about to continue eating, arched an eyebrow at me in interest. "What's so funny?"

I wave a hand at him in a dismissive fashion. "Nothing, just thinking of something that a former teacher of mine once said."

"Do tell," said Javier encouragingly, his undivided attention on me again.

Leaning forward for another piece of carrion, I said, "Supposedly, how you hold your chopsticks predicts who you will fall in love with."

"Really?" said Javier, his voice rising several octaves in intrigue. "How so?"

"It's silly really," I told him as I held out my chopsticks for a demonstration. Pointing at the far ends, I explained, "If you hold your chopsticks here, near the ends not used to pick up food, you'll have to go international to meet your true love." Sliding my claws down to the middle of the chopsticks, I continued, "If you hold them here, your true love lives in the same country as you do, but in a different city."

"Well, I hold mine here," said Javier, showing me how he held his chopsticks closer to the ends that were used to pick up food. "What does that mean?"

I cleared my throat and answered, "Well, um, that means your true love lives in the same city as you do."

Eyeing my chopsticks, Javier said, "I see you hold yours the same way I do."

"How observant," I mumbled, hastily shoving the carrion into my mouth. "Your point?"

Javier smirked. "If what you say is true, then aren't you glad we decided to go out?"

My lips that curved so easily into a smile betrayed the rolling of my eyes.

* * *

After we finished our meal and Javier insisted on paying the bill, we left the restaurant. The valet, seeing us exit, dashed off and returned moments later with Javier's motorcycle and our helmets. Javier tipped the valet before we put our helmets on and climbed onto the motorcycle. With a roar of the engine, we took off down the brightly-lit streets of downtown Monstropolis.

I spoke up when Javier passed the expressway that would take us back to campus. "Where are we going next?"

"You'll see!" Javier yelled over the whooshing sound of the wind breezing by us during the ride.

I accepted his answer and just spent the ride observing my surroundings: the numerous towering buildings, the assortment of vehicles cruising past us, and the joyous laughter of monsters who were enjoying a leisurely stroll on the sidewalks. Monstropolis, as enormous as it was, was a really amazing place to live. There was always something going on that was worth checking out and the monsters, even those in the Scaring profession, were friendly.

A familiar tune of violins and percussion filled the air as Javier and I pulled up to an available space alongside the curb of Nathan Phantom Square, which was an urban square that hosted cultural events throughout the year such as concerts, festivals, art shows, and the occasional farmer's market. The edge of City Hall bordered one of the four sides of the square. Covering nearly five hectares of area, it was the largest square in the country.

I got off the motorcycle and handed my helmet to Javier before turning my attention to the monsters in attendance, about three dozen or so, scattered throughout the paved area closest to us. All of them were paired up and looked to be dancing to the alluring music playing from massive speakers that had been set up along one of the edges of the square. Being a dancer myself, I was excited to see such an event being hosted in the core of downtown Monstropolis.

Javier, having secured his motorcycle and our helmets to it, appeared next to me on the sidewalk.

"What's this?" I asked him, referring to the dancing before us.

"Friday nights are Serpentine Tango nights in Nathan Phantom Square," Javier explained. "Did you know that?"

I shook my head in awe. "I really need to get out more."

Javier chuckled, holding a hand out to me. "Would you like to dance, chica?"

I felt my eyes shift from his offered hand to his pink eyes watching me expectantly. Javier's knowledge of the tango and the paso doble was a good indication that he was proficient in the ten internationally-recognized ballroom dances. The Serpentine Tango, however, wasn't one of them – it was classified as more of a social dance - and I was curious as to when and why he picked up that style to add to his repertoire.

"I assume you know how to, right?" Javier asked when I didn't promptly respond to his invitation.

I nodded. "Yeah, but do you?"

Javier grinned and said, "Why don't you join me and find out yourself?"

I hesitated for a moment, my eyes resting on Javier's outstretched hand. The Serpentine Tango was a very sensual and intimate dance, requiring a lot of body contact and trust. A small voice at the back of my mind expressed concern that Javier would take advantage of me through this dance, but a much louder voice reminded me of my growing interest to see how much he knew, how sharp his moves were, and how well he could lead. If he could perform it half as well as he did the regular tango, I was in for quite a treat.

"Dance with me, chica," said Javier softly, nudging his claws towards him in a come-hither motion.

Bending my knees in a graceful curtsy, I accepted his hand and followed him onto the paved area that would serve as our dance floor for the night. We weaved our way between dancing monsters, coming to an open space just as the music playing changed to a different tango tune, one that I recognized from a previous ballroom competition that I had entered and won.

Initially, I was staring at Javier's chin before I forced myself to gaze upwards into his eyes and it was then I realize just how close we were physically. I could feel him take my right hand into his upper left one and raise it into the appropriate hold for the tango walk.

"We'll need to a get a little closer than that, chica," Javier told me cheekily as he pressed his upper right hand into my lower back, fully closing the distance between our abdomens.

I took a sharp inhale of breath when I felt my chest against his and his warm breath on my face. Exhaling any nerves that suddenly bubbled within, I looped my left arm over his right shoulder, resting my hand on his back just below his shoulder blade. My head was positioned to the right of his, almost above his right shoulder. I silently wondered when we would begin to move, but I trusted Javier to lead and, sure enough, I felt his body pushed gently towards mine and I followed by stepping back on my right foot.

Together, we performed the tango walk, with my feet moving backwards and making room for him whenever he stepped forward. Soon after, we turned in place with some rock and side steps with weight changes when appropriate. By the time Javier led me into the salida, also known as the cross, I was feeling bolder. While he guided me through the steps, I executed a few clear-cut back ochos with twists of my hips, sliding my left leg teasingly up his right calf before flicking it back towards my right. His hold on me became more possessive, which I took as a good sign.

As the music and our dancing continued, so did Javier's determination to remind me that he was in control. With a low and seductive whisper in my ear, he said, "Eyes on me, chica."

I obeyed and pulled back my head, so that our eyes met and I saw that the swirling pools of pink had intensified, exuding both passion and confidence, causing me to stop breathing for a moment. Performing a barrida, I swivelled my hips like I did when doing a back ocho. I sweeped my right foot back gently and was about to move my left foot when I felt Javier's right foot rest against it, sliding it across the ground. Before long, I was following him around wherever his feet were guiding mine.

Not long after, Javier broke our focused gaze and rested his head to the side of mine again. He came to a sudden halt, only to turn us on the spot. Realizing what he was doing and fully trusting that he had a firm hold on me, I raised my right foot slightly off of the ground and allowed him to spin me with him. To anyone watching, we probably resembled a crystal couple rotating inside a music box when open.

The beats of the music playing got sharper and so did our dancing. As Javier and I performed a volcada, I threw in some boleos, alternating between my feet as I whipped them quickly behind me, one by one, only to lightly wrap my legs around his as we danced. Miraculously, we didn't cause each other to trip with the hooking of our legs. When Javier's grip on me become firmer, I sensed that he was about to lift me into the air. The moment I was off the ground, my legs flew out to the sides in a horizontal split.

A particular series of beats told me that the song was coming to an end and one look at Javier told me that he was aware of that as well. Breaking hold partially, I kept my right hand in his left and sensually walked around him, his arm circling me as I did so. Once I was standing on his left side, facing him, I struck a quick pose with my left hand in the air before he released my hand and I spun towards him in a clockwise direction. My intention was to tip backwards, fairly certain that he would catch me.

As predicted, Javier felt to his knees in time to catch me, suspending me slightly over his lap. His upper right hand supported my neck and his left arm wrapped desirously around my torso. My right leg was extended straight, but my left foot was on the ground and bent in a manner that kept my pelvis in the air. My left arm flew around his neck while my right hand dropped over Javier's arm on my torso.

Cheers, whoops, and applause rang out from around us and I knew that it was from the other monsters who had, apparently, paused their own dancing and turned to watch us improvise a routine on the spot. Judging by the expressions of amazement on their faces, it must have been a decent routine at least.

Looking from the starry-lit sky above to the face of the monster holding me so securely, I breathed, "Javier."

Javier chuckled. "Wow, if I knew that literally sweeping you off of your feet would have gotten you to finally say my name, I would have done this the night I first met you."

I could feel myself blush furiously under his intense gaze and said defensively, "It just came out."

Javier laughed. "Not so hard after all, huh?"

I stared at him and asked, "Are you just going to hold me like this for the rest of the night or are you going to help me up?"

"I don't know," Javier replied teasingly, "I rather like the sight of you under me."

"Javier!" I chided with a laugh.

"Music to my ears, chica," said Javier as he straightened up and pulled me back onto my feet.

Another tango tune started playing at that point and the pairs of monsters that had been watching us went back to dancing. The melody of this song was softer than most tango songs and its lyrics told the story of two friends who fell passionately in love; they wished that they didn't need each other, but ultimately couldn't stay away from each other and ultimately gave in to each other's bodies and touches. I chuckled under my breath at how art imitated life at that very moment.

Taking my right hand into his left again and resting his right across my back, Javier began to gently sway us in place. "You weren't so bad, chica."

"Right back at you," I replied, slipping my left hand over his right shoulder as I did during the Serpentine Tango. "When did you pick up this particular style of dance?"

"My parents had me learn, so they could show me off at company, city, and Rios functions," Javier explained. "I actually ended up liking it, but I hadn't done it for a while until tonight."

"Why not?" I asked.

Javier shrugged. "Too busy with school and the RΩRs. Plus, remember Johnny? He thinks this kind of dancing isn't scary and the two shouldn't mix."

I scoffed at that comment. "Then he should watch a powerful paso doble or a fiery tango and then rethink that statement."

Javier chuckled. "He has never seen you dance?"

"Just a few practises," I explained, "but never a fierce competition or an actual recital. The dynamic is different when you're competing or performing for a crowd. I think he would actually enjoy it if he bothered to go to one."

"He could learn a thing or two from you," said Javier as we rotated in place to the soft beat of the music. "He doesn't know it, but the coordination from dancing has actually been helpful for scaring."

"Yeah?" I said, interested in the correlation between scaring and ballroom dancing.

Javier nodded with a pompous smirk. "Why do you think I'm so good at maneuvering through a child's bedroom and being sneaky and all that?"

"Fair point," I said. "If your performance in the bedroom is anything like your dancing, then you must be quite good on your feet."

"Which performance?" Javier asked with a smirk. "Scaring or the horizontal mambo?"

I flushed red in embarrassment at my poor choice of words. "Never mind."

Leaning towards my ear, Javier whispered, "You'll find that I'm good at both."

I pulled back with a laugh and just shook my head at him. "You just love flirting with me, don't you?"

"Possibly," Javier murmured, "but something tells me that you like it, that you like everything about tonight."

I simply shrugged and said, "I've had worst nights."

Javier chuckled at me. "You just can't come out and say the truth, can you?"

"I finally said your first name," I reminded him. "If that isn't any indication of how tonight has been going, you may want to get your ears checked."

"Well, not gonna lie," said Javier, gazing down at me rather fondly, "it was nice to finally hear you say it."

"I'm glad that I made your night," I said, giving him a genuine smile. "Thank you for making mine."

"De nada, chica," Javier replied, flashing me a charming smile. "Can I see you again?"

"You will," I assured him. "Remember, we go to the same school, so the chances of us crossing paths again is highly likely."

Stepping closer to me, Javier said, "You know what I mean."

I shook her head, smiling coyly. "No, I don't think I do."

"You really like making things harder for me, huh?" Javier asked, his eyes travelling from mine to my lips.

"It's one of my favourite hobbies," I quipped, feeling my heartrate accelerate gradually.

"I think you need a new one," Javier murmured, his face suddenly inches from mine.

"Any suggestions?" I asked, feeling my eyes flutter close.

Javier's response to my question was pressing his lips against mine and kissing me tenderly.

I could feel the kiss elicit a fire within me that had been extinguished a long time ago; I soon found myself kissing him back and relishing the feeling of his lips on mine and of his arms that somehow found their way around my waist at a point of which I was unsure. In fact, I was uncertain of a lot of things at that moment – if we had stopped dancing, if the music had changed, and if my purse was still hanging around my body – but none of that mattered.

Tonight, I did the one thing that I promised myself at the beginning of the semester that I would never do: I gave in to the temptation that was Javier Rios.

And, Goblin, it was one of the best decisions that I had ever made.


	14. Official

Making Our Mark

Chapter 14: Official

* * *

Monday morning saw me lounging leisurely across my bed, thinking about the events of Saturday night with Javier: the delicious dinner, the night of dancing, and the occasional kissing between songs. Even though I was fully dressed for the start of another week, getting out of bed would signify that the weekend was officially over. It was claws down one of the best weekends that I have had in a long time and I was reluctant to accept that it had come to an end.

Turning to the side, I laid eyes on the plush bug that Javier won for me at the carnival earlier in the month and smiled at it. Reaching out to toy with one of its arms, I continued to reflect on the weekend. While I had gone out with Javier on Saturday, we only crossed paths on Sunday as we went about our day. I wasn't surprised since Johnny had asked him for help with Greek Council matters while I was doing more midterm exam review and choreographing for this week's dance classes. While we both agreed that we had a good time Saturday night, I still wondered where we stood in terms of our relationship.

Glancing at my wristwatch caused me to shoot up in bed and climb out of it to grab my messenger bag laying on the floor. I had a long day ahead of me – a midterm for my Spanish Language Training I class, more exam review, my Pedagogy of the Arts class, and my weekly beginner-level Latin Fusion dance class – and if I was going to get through it all, I was going to need a nice dose of caffeine.

Leaving my dorm building, I made my way over to the cafeteria and made a beeline for the Tim Howlton's kiosk, which had quickly become my favourite place on campus to grab a bite to eat or a caffeinated drink to get me through the days that seemed to go on forever. Fortunately, the line wasn't long and neither was the wait.

When a cashier finally freed up, I stepped forward. I didn't recognize her as one of the usual employees – she appeared to be a few decades older than them - and I figured that she was new. "Hi, may I please have a medium chocolate claw iced cappuccino and a sausage, egg, and cheese wrap?"

The monster nodded as she reached for a plastic cup of the appropriate size and a marker. "Your name please?"

"Danica," I told her.

The monster paused before looking up at me. "Are you Danica Worthington?"

"Yes," I answered slowly, pulling a few dollars from my purse, "why do you ask?"

The monster smiled. "Just checking because someone has already paid for your order."

I simply stared at the monster who busied herself with whipping up my order. As I returned the money to my purse, I frowned in confusion, silently wondering who paid for my breakfast and drink, let alone knew what my order would be and that I would come here to get it today. If I had to guess, it would be Brynn as we grabbed breakfast together more often than not.

"Here you are, my dear," said the monster brightly, sliding not only my drink and paper bag containing my breakfast wrap across the counter, but also a small hot coffee and a long-stemmed red rose.

"Um, thank you," I stuttered, accepting the glass and the paper bag, "but I didn't order the small coffee."

"I know, your boyfriend there did," said the monster before winking at me. "He's a keeper, dear."

To my surprise, Javier came forward out of nowhere to claim his purchase. "Thanks."

The monster smiled again before grabbing an empty coffee pot to whip up a fresh batch of java.

Javier chuckled at the stunned expression that was no doubt written on my face. As he handed me the rose, he said, "Good morning, chica."

"That's to be determined," I quipped, taking the rose and tilting my head up at him. "Why did she assume you're my boyfriend?"

"Well, after Saturday night, I figured I was," said Javier as we began walking away from the counter and towards the commons area, which was what the campus community affectionately called the vast open space of the cafeteria. The space was often used for hosting events such as bake sales, fashion shows, and job fairs.

I smirked at him. "Are you?"

"You tell me," said Javier, smiling slyly.

I smiled at the answer to the question about our relationship status that had been on my mind since Saturday night. "You could definitely be much worse."

Javier grinned widely. "Is that a yes?"

I rolled my eyes playfully and said, "It's not a no."

Javier's eyes lit up like mine would in a dance costume store. He passed me his coffee and said, "Hold this."

"What?" I said, but took the coffee anyway in my arms since my hands were holding my wrap, drink, and rose.

Javier turned his back to me and exhaled before zipping forward in a run and leaping energetically towards the roof of the building, punching the air with a victorious whoop under the curious and bewildered gazes of the monsters passing by or seated nearby.

I laughed at the abandonment of Javier's typically laid-back composure. Watching him stroll back towards me with a determined look on his face, I momentarily stopped breathing when he rested his hands under my chin and pulled me in for a fierce kiss, eliciting cat-calls and whistles from the same onlookers who had stopped to watch the spontaneous moment unfold.

Breaking the kiss, Javier murmured, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."

"Was I worth the wait?" I asked coyly.

"Claro," Javier replied affirmatively before kissing me again.

I returned the kiss before pulling back and saying, "Right, now that we're established that, I have to get going. I have a midterm to get to."

"Yes, Spanish Language Training I," said Javier, proving how well he paid attention to me. Draping an arm across my shoulders, he said, "Allow me to walk you there."

"I know how to get there, Jav," I joked. "I haven't missed a single class this semester."

Javier chuckled. "Can't I spend some time with my beautiful girlfriend?"

"If you must," I sighed dramatically, but smiled at Javier calling me his girlfriend. The title made our relationship sound official and, to my utter delight, it was.

Together, Javier and I crossed the commons area and exited the building through its main doors to bright rays of sunshine and the amicable chatter of monsters walking by, going about their business. I leaned into his side more as we walked, relishing in the feeling of being next to him. He used his arm wrapped around me to guide me, much like he did when we danced the Serpentine Tango. He offered to hold my drink while I fished for my breakfast wrap in its bag.

"Want some?" I asked, holding out the meaty, eggy, and cheesy goodness.

"No thanks, I already have what I want," said Javier, rubbing my arm tenderly.

"The coffee?" I joked, knowing full well what he meant.

Javier laughed and whispered into my ear, "Nah, she's hotter."

"And don't you forget it," I quipped with a wink.

Javier chuckled as he handed me back my drink and sipped his own coffee.

I enjoyed my breakfast as we walked, fully aware of the double takes, shocked glances, envious glares, and hushed whispers from monsters that passed us by. Some of these whispers were audible and while some of them were of genuine surprise, others were less than flattering.

"How did she snag a monster like Javier?"

"Isn't she Johnny's sister?"

"Lucky girl!"

"She's probably wild between the sheets."

"Little tramp."

I rolled my eyes at that last one as I took a rougher bite of my breakfast wrap.

"¿Qué pasa?" Javier asked, noticing how irritated I was getting.

"These nosy monsters have nothing better to stare at or talk about, do they?" I muttered as I chewed. "We're students, not zoo animals."

Javier laughed. "A beautiful, brilliant, and talented freshman just took a handsome, charming, and suave RΩR bachelor off of the market. Of course the campus will talk."

I nodded, knowing that he was right. With Javier's popularity as a RΩR, anyone who was closely acquainted with him was sure to be the talk of the campus. Being his girlfriend was probably going to earn me a spot on the front page of the Campus Roar by the end of the week. I wasn't looking forward to the attention that our growing relationship was bringing and would continue to bring, but I wouldn't trade it for a life in obscurity. Being with Javier made me happy in ways that would take an eternity to explain and I hoped that we could handle anything that was thrown our way.

As we finished crossing the troll bridge, a chipper voice rang out, "You guys!"

Turning in the direction of the familiar voice, I spotted Brynn sprinting towards us from the other bridge further down the river that led to Frat Row. She looked to be bursting with excitement as though she had news that she was dying to share.

"Good morning, Brynn," I greeted casually.

"And what a good morning it is!" Brynn exclaimed, looking from me to Javier. "Congratulations on becoming an item you two! I'm so happy for you guys!"

While I was pleased to receive such amazing support from Brynn, I was astonished that she found out about Javier and me so quickly. "How?"

Brynn looked puzzled at the simple question that I posed. "You're my friend, Danica. Of course I would be happy to find out that you and Javier got together."

"No, I mean, how did you already find that out?" I clarified. "Javier and I only got on the same page, like, fifteen minutes ago."

"Word travels fast across this campus, honey," Brynn pointed out sweetly.

"It does, especially if the Python Nu Kappas are involved in spreading it," Javier admitted before he took another sip of his coffee.

Eyeing Brynn curiously, I asked, "How did _you_ find out exactly?"

"You said yes in the cafeteria, right?" Brynn asked.

"Yes," I answered slowly.

"Well, the manager of the Tim Howlton's there where we usually grab coffee has a nephew who is a Scream Can Design major, who's best friends with a dude from the football team, who has classes with a yogi, who does weekly pilates with Carrie from Python Nu Kappa, who is a cousin of the songstress who's dating Baboso from JΘX," Brynn rambled before pausing to catch her breath and then continuing, "Baboso told Percy who told Violet who told me."

"Whoa," I groaned, rubbing my forehead with the tips of my claws. "That's a confusing gossip chain."

Javier snickered next to me.

"What's so funny?" I asked, giving him a look.

Giving me a few taps on my shoulder, Javier explained, "It took the campus a little over a month to figure out that you're a Worthington, yet only fifteen minutes to find out that we started seeing each other."

I laughed. "Well, to be fair, your reaction to me agreeing to go out with you wasn't exactly subtle."

"Can you blame him?" Brynn asked me. "He has been chasing after you since the moment he met you. It's about time you give him a breather."

I shook my head with a smile and asked Javier, "Do you think Johnny knows yet?"

"If Larson found out in fifteen minutes, then all of Frat Row probably knows by now," Javier guessed.

I sighed heavily and asked, "Who do you think Johnny would kill first: you for dating his sister or me for dating one of his frat brothers?"

Javier shrugged. "Johnny may not always think twice before acting, but I don't think he'll be out to get us."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, he's probably not going to kill his sister who feeds him."

"Nor his frat brother who makes sure he gets up on time every day," Javier added. "If it wasn't for me, he would probably be late to today's midterm."

Brynn giggled and asked me, "Speaking of midterms, we should probably get going to ours."

"Yeah," I agreed before turning back to Javier. "I'll see you later?"

Javier nodded. "Come to the RΩR house after your midterm. I'll make something for lunch."

I smiled at the invitation. "I'll see you then."

After giving me one last kiss, which was tenderer than the ones from earlier, Javier gave a curt nod to Brynn and then sauntered back across the troll bridge, presumably towards the School of Scaring for his class on Error Analysis in Scaring.

Brynn whistled lowly once Javier was out of hearing range. "That's some smile on your face, honey. He must be one hell of a kisser."

I blushed, knowing that she hit the nail right on the head, but I wasn't about to admit that. "He's okay."

Brynn laughed. "Well, if okay turns your cheeks pink, I can only imagine what making out will do to you."

"Okay, let's talk midterms!" I hastily suggested before my face could redden any further and cause a spike in body temperature. Giving Brynn a light shove towards the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I said, "Don't forget those subject-verb agreements."

* * *

After an hour of conjugating verbs, translating phrases from one language to another, and reading over my responses prior to submitting them, I left the building and began the journey to Frat Row by myself. Normally, Brynn would leave class with me, but it seemed that she was not quite ready to hand in her exam by the time I was finished. I caught her eyes on the way out and smiled reassuringly before leaving her to nibble on her pencil and make use of the half an hour that remained for the exam.

Upon arriving on the front porch of the Roar Omega Roar fraternity house, I fiddled with the doorknob and found it unlocked, so I just turned it fully and opened the door. Both Johnny and Javier had given me permission to make myself at home whenever I stopped by the house; as long as the door was unlocked, someone was home and I was more than welcome to come in.

"Hello?" I called into the silent and seemingly-empty house.

"In here!" a voice responded from the adjacent room.

Shutting the door behind me, I smiled and crossed the living room, slipping off my bag on the way and leaving it on the couch. I stopped in the doorway leading into the kitchen and quietly watched Javier study the contents of the oven through the window of its door.

"Hey, you," he said when he noticed me and straightened up immediately.

"Hey, yourself," I responded as I stepped into the kitchen. Taking a whiff of the aroma that floated in the air, I asked, "What are you making?"

"Chicken enchiladas," Javier announced proudly. "Remember, you're not the only one around here who can cook."

"Sounds delicious," I remarked, feeling my stomach rumble in anticipation. I paused for a moment and then added, "I'm surprised you're already out of class."

"The midterm was easy, so I left early," Javier explained. "Since I wasn't expecting you for another half hour, I assume yours was too?"

"I think I did fairly well," I answered honestly as I lightly finger the soft petals of the rose that Javier had given me earlier. "Grammar and translation come easy to me."

"So do other things, I'm sure," said Javier, looping an arm around my waist. "Face it, you're incredibly brilliant."

I just looked at him and scoffed lightly. "Jav, I already agreed to go out with you. You can stop the flattery."

"That's not flattery," said Javier, pulling me closer to him, "that's the truth."

I laughed sheepishly as I rested my hands against his chest. "Don't let the enchiladas burn."

"We've got time," Javier assured me before his lips met mine.

I smiled into the kiss and slid my arms up around his firm shoulders, allowing our chests to press against each other and the rose to drop to the floor. Where it ended up was beyond my scope of knowledge, given how the kiss was more than enough to lose any sense of awareness to anything else but the monster giving it and how it was making me feel.

Javier nudged his hips against mine, backing me into the marble island and taking control of the kiss, much like he did whenever we danced together. His claws traced the curves of my waist as though he was trying to memorize what they looked like. The wonderful sensation sent feelings of bliss up my spine.

Unfortunately, the moment was abruptly cut short, but not by charred food in the oven. I suddenly found myself yanked aside, only to roughly collide, face first, against the island. I splayed across it like a rag doll carelessly tossed aside. Groaning in pain, I looked up and turned to see Johnny had cornered Javier near the sink, glaring at him murderously and looking ready to pounce on him and pummel him to a bloody pulp.

"¿Qué diablos?" Javier barked in annoyance, giving Johnny a dirty look.

"So it's true," Johnny snarled lowly, clenching his fists in anger.

"I take it you've heard," Javier muttered with furrowed eyebrows.

"Found out from Bruiser earlier this morning," Johnny growled. "I was hoping I misunderstood his babbling and then I come home and find you all over her."

"You know, that interruption wasn't necessary, amigo," Javier told him sternly.

"Neither was going after Danica!" Johnny spat before dragging a hand down his face in exasperation. "Goblin, Jav, out of every girl on campus, why did it have to be her? She's my sister!"

"Can you not talk about me as if I'm not here?" I interjected, reminding my brother that I was still in the room. I grimaced at the pain that shot down to the center of my abdomen; it was worse than any menstrual cramp that I had ever experienced.

Shoving Johnny aside, Javier came over to me and carefully took me by the arm. "Estás bien?"

"Sí," I mumbled, pushing myself off of the island with one hand and clutching my stomach with another. "That's going to leave a bruise."

At that moment, Chip made his return to the house known by popping his head into the kitchen, looking concerned at the ruckus that even the students by the main entrance of the campus could probably hear. "What's going on?"

"Johnny's making a scene," I explained, giving Johnny an irked look. "What else is new?"

Johnny huffed, folding his arms in front of him. "Turns out Bruiser was telling the truth."

"Seriously?" Chip asked, his wide eyes shifting from Johnny to us, just as Javier slipped an arm protectively around my waist. His eyes then travelled to the fallen rose by my feet.

Johnny nodded, fuming at Javier and me. "Yep, can you believe it?"

"Nope," Chip replied, grinning madly. Turning around, he called, "Yo, Chet, Jav and Danica _are_ a thing! You owe me fifty bucks!"

"Aww fangs!" Chet's disappointed voice cursed from the living room.

I laughed, more so at Chet losing money than at my relationship with Javier being the subject of a betting pool amongst some of the RΩRs. As I reached down to pick up the rose, a part of me questioned if anyone else in the Greek community had money in the pot.

Chip happily took the money that Chet's outstretched claw offered him before turning to Javier and me with a smile. "Congrats, guys, I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks, Chip," I said warmly.

"Wait until Bruiser gets out of class and finds out that he heard right," said Chip as a discontent Chet scuttled into the kitchen, glaring at me en route to the refrigerator.

"Hey, hey, hold up," Johnny interrupted, pointing between Javier and me. "I want to know how long you two have been a thing."

"Only a few hours," I answered honestly, "but I would be lying if I said we weren't dancing around the idea for longer than that."

Giving me a look of despair, Johnny groaned, "But why him?"

"I'm been asking myself that too," I jested.

"Hey!" Javier chided.

I laughed and patted his chest lightly. "Just teasing you."

Johnny sighed wearily. "Seriously, did it have to be one of my frat brothers?"

I stared at Johnny plainly. "He's not the pompous ass that you make all RΩRs appear to be. I was intrigued."

"And you," Johnny continued, jabbing an accusatory claw towards Javier, "my sister?"

"Amigo, I liked her from the moment I saw her," Javier confessed. "I would have gotten to know her even if you two weren't related."

The built-in timer of the oven dinging cut Johnny's interrogation short.

"And that would be the enchiladas," Javier spoke up, pulling away from me and swiping two sets of oven mitts from the counter on the way to the oven.

Chip eagerly climbed onto a barstool, awaiting lunch, while Chet continued to rummage through the stocked refrigerator.

Looking to Johnny, I saw that he was still bristling and I sighed dejectedly. "Johnny, you know that I don't want to fight with you and I certainly don't want to spend any more time defending my relationship with Javier to you."

"Or making out with him in our kitchen," Chet piped up, only to yelp and duck behind the refrigerator door in time to avoid the ladle that I had chucked at him.

"Next time, it will be a frying pan," I snapped at the crab menacingly before turning my attention back to Johnny. "Look, I'm not here to tear apart your precious fraternity. The bottom line is that Javier and I decided to see each other. As my brother and his friend, please accept and respect our decision."

Johnny looked ready to argue, but I cut him off.

"And before you answer, let me remind you that Javier is a RΩR thanks to your willingness to welcome him into the fraternity. You and I both know that you wouldn't have done so if you didn't think he was a decent monster at least. The fact that he's your right-hand monster and that you can rely on him for anything speaks wonders about how much you trust him. If you can trust him with fraternity-related matters, surely you can trust him with me."

Johnny grumbled at my reasoning and boldness. "I suppose you could have chosen worse. If you were seeing Chet or Bruiser, I would be worried."

"Hey!" Chet protested, popping out from behind the refrigerator door in outrage.

"And don't get me started on the Oozmas," Johnny went on, ignoring Chet's outburst. Pinching his forehead, he mumbled, "Goblin help us all if you decided to date one of them."

I rolled my eyes at that remark. "They're a fraternity, not a group of drug dealers or marauding vikings."

Pointing a claw at Javier in a threatening manner, Johnny said, "You better treat her right, Jav, or else you're going to have to deal with me."

"Don't worry, amigo," Javier assured him as he pulled out a tray of freshly-baked homemade enchiladas that appeared to be stuffed with chicken and cheese and dripping with a savory sauce of some kind. "You can trust me with her."

"Hope so," said Johnny with narrowed eyes, "or else you can trust that no one will find your body."

I rolled my eyes at the threat issued. "Is that really necessary, Johnny?"

"Hey, you're a Worthington and you deserve the best," Johnny explained defensively. "Not too sure if Jav fits the bill but, like I said, you could do much worse."

"Gracias for your vote of confidence," said Javier sarcastically.

"Look, just don't let me catch you two making out all over the house," Johnny warned. "No one needs to see that."

Giving Javier a pointed look, I asked, "You hear that, Jav? Behave."

"Hey, you can't deny that you find me irresistible," said Javier cockily.

"Hey, none of that talk!" Johnny cried, shielding his ears with his hands. "We're about to eat."

"Alright, lunch time!" Bruiser cheered as he entered the kitchen. "What's new?"

"Javier and Danica, that's what's new," Chip chimed in. "By the way, Chet owes you fifty bucks."

"Oh, come on!" Chet roared, scowling at Chip for the reminder, but reaching under his cap for the money anyway.

I laughed before accepting a cheesy enchilada from the tray that Javier offered me.

* * *

Luckily, the rest of my Monday was smooth sailing. My Pedagogy of the Arts class followed lunch with the RΩRs, the former during which all of the students were randomly assigned to groups of four monsters each. Rather than take a final exam, we had a final group project to complete: a video that spanned between one and two minutes that encompassed different forms of the arts discussed over the duration of the course. The theme of the video would be up to each group to select. To my utmost relief, I was part of a group with some pretty polite and creative monsters who pitched some great ideas for what we could do. We ended up leaving the class that afternoon with a rough outline of the project, a list of delegated tasks, and a tentative filming schedule.

I had dinner with Brynn and some of her sorority sisters at their house on Frat Row and they were delighted when I confirmed that Javier and I were indeed a couple. While Carla and Maria begged for me to spill the details, Donna and Debbie were more reserved and simply smiled throughout the meal, that is, I assumed that they did behind all of their hair. Brynn mentioned that since it was possible after all for a freshman to be dating a RΩR, she wondered if that meant that she had a shot with Johnny. My response to that was choking on a stem of broccoli.

As tired as I was feeling after dinner, I still had my weekly beginner-level Latin Fusion dance class to teach. I arrived early as I normally did to set up, greeting Violet at the front desk of the fitness center as I walked by. My thoughts during setup drifted to my students in the class, specifically to Terri and Terry. I wasn't sure what they would think once they find out about Javier and me, especially given their disdain for the RΩRs, but I hoped that they, as my friends, would be happy for me. If Johnny could bite his tongue, why not them?

Around quarter to seven, students began trickling into the studio with eager expressions on their faces. A few of the students were clearly new because their apprehensive faces were not familiar to me, but I was more than happy to welcome them to the class and expressed my hope that they would enjoy the lesson. That made them smile more.

"Hey, Danica!" George greeted once he entered the studio.

I politely excused myself from the newcomers and turned to address the JΘX brother. "Hey there, George! Excited for another lesson?"

"You betcha!" George answered cheerfully. "By the way, congrats to you and Jav."

"Thank you," I said kindly.

"When I heard the news, I was ecstatic," George continued, his lips curved into a broad grin. "Super ecstatic."

I smirked openly at him. "How much did you win?"

George laughed and said, "You heard about that, huh?"

"Yeah, almost all of RΩR had something in the pool," I explained in amusement. "Don't worry, I'm not mad about it."

George smiled and said, "I won big, but I heard Chet wasn't too pleased."

"He still isn't," I told him and laughed.

George let out a snicker and took a look around the studio. "Looks like we have some newbies."

I nodded, scanning our surroundings. "Yeah, I'm so happy about that. The more the merrier." I paused then and frowned. "I wonder where the Perry twins are."

"Oh, I ran into them on the way here and we chatted for a bit," said George. "They should be here soon."

The class went well and I dismissed my students the moment eight o'clock rolled around.

Sadly, Terri and Terry were not among them.


	15. Reactions

Making Our Mark

Chapter 15: Reactions

* * *

"Girl, you're in the paper again!" Brynn exclaimed, running up to my table in the cafeteria with a newspaper in hand.

I looked up from my chocolate claw iced cappuccino at the latest edition of the Campus Roar that Brynn flashed in front of my face. My eyes bulged out at the photo of Javier and me on the front page, which appeared to have been taken during our walk the previous morning. A short article accompanied it.

 ** _Hooray for Javanica!_**

 ** _By: Chelsea McCay_**

 ** _Junior Javier Rios, a proud member of the prestigious Roar Omega Roar fraternity, has shocked the campus community by going public with his new love, freshman and Latin Fusion dance instructor Danica Worthington._**

 ** _The Scaring major, 20, and the Spanish Studies and Education double major, 18, were seen strolling across campus Monday morning, presumably on their way to classes. The two shared laughs over a delicious breakfast, oblivious to the inquisitive gazes of the students who passed them by._**

 ** _Older brother Johnny Worthington, 21, who serves as the President of Roar Omega Roar, expressed his support for the couple, adding that the entire fraternity is delighted by this new development._**

 ** _Violet Steslicki, 20, a Slugma Slugma Kappa sorority sister and hip hop dance instructor, is thrilled for her co-worker and hopes that she brings the joy that she found with Javier to her lively dance classes, which take place at the campus fitness center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night from seven to eight._**

 ** _A full schedule of dance classes offered this semester can be found on the official Monsters University website._**

"Goblin, there is no sense of privacy on this campus, is there?" I muttered in annoyance.

Brynn smiled sympathetically and said, "If it makes you feel any better, you two look absolutely adorable in the picture."

I sipped my drink and studied the colourful photo of Javier and me. He had his arm draped around me and looked to be whispering something in my ear. I, meanwhile, was leaning into his side and smiling widely at his spoken words, completely unaware of our surroundings, including the camera that covertly captured the moment.

"It was nice to read that the entire fraternity is delighted for you two," said Brynn, quoting the article.

"Well, I wouldn't say the entire fraternity," I told Brynn. "In fact, Johnny almost clobbered Javier yesterday when he found out the news."

"Really?" Brynn asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yeah, but you know he's not going to tell the paper that."

Brynn shook her head. "I figured that he would be happy for you guys. After all, he's your brother by blood and Javier's by fraternity."

I smiled. "He's just overprotective of me, but he's trying to be supportive."

"I think it helps that you're dating someone he knows," Brynn pointed out. "I'm sure he wouldn't be so calm if you were dating a complete stranger."

"Or someone from Oozma Kappa," I added.

"True," Brynn agreed. She knew of Johnny's extreme dislike for the green and yellow-sporting fraternity. "How are the other RΩRs really taking the news?"

"Well, Chip and Bruiser are very happy for us," I shared, "but Chet didn't take the news too well and I think that's just because he lost money on it."

Brynn giggled. "Yeah, thanks for my new soccer cleats by the way."

"Glad I could help," I replied sarcastically, aware of Slugma Slugma Kappa's many contributions to the betting pool after an enlightening conversation with Violet the night before.

Brynn grinned widely and asked, "What does Sulley think of you guys?"

"Who knows?" I said with a shrug. "I haven't seen him around the house lately."

"Oh, well, the important thing is that most of RΩR is supportive or trying to be supportive of you guys," said Brynn and smiled cheerfully.

"Yes, I'm so grateful for that," I said, biting my lip in contemplation, "and I would like to do something for them to show my appreciation."

"Well, that can wait until after class," Brynn informed me, giving me a puzzled look. "Shouldn't you get going?"

Glancing at my wristwatch, I shot out of my seat in alarm when I realized that I only had ten minutes to get to Assessment and Evaluation. Scooping up my messenger bag and drink, I blurted to Brynn that I would see her for lunch and bolted off, knowing that I had quite the distance to run if I wanted to make it to the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities on time.

* * *

As always, Professor Clark executed another engaging and hands-on lesson by introducing the students to different types of graphic organizers and how they could be used to assess a student's understanding of a topic taught in class. He then presented us with a passage about the Scream Revolution that we had to convert into a graphic organizer of our choice. I ended up leaving the class with a very informative and colourful mind map that summarized the text and gave readers a glimpse into how my mind processed information.

My afternoon classes were nothing short of typical either: Introduction to Literary Studies was full of lecturing and note-taking while Philosophy of Education was boring as hell; the discussion content during the latter was either common sense ("Yelling at a student is not a recommended form of classroom management.") or something that I already read in my textbook ("Pull the student aside, away from peers, to address the misbehaviour.").

Once I was done with my classes for the day, I made a quick trip to the oriental market across campus and then headed down Frat Row. By this point in the semester, I was a frequent presence in the Greek community and that, coupled by my appearance on the front cover of that morning's Campus Roar, caused many heads to turn my way. While many smiling faces greeted me as I passed by, I also received some scowls from a few Argma Slugma Argma sorority girls who, according to Brynn, had a thing for Javier and likely weren't too pleased after having read the Campus Roar earlier. Their sourness, however, was nothing to concern myself with.

Crossing the porch of the RΩR house, I reached for the doorknob and smiled when I saw that it was unlocked after turning it. I opened the door and was only able to take a few steps inside before I flew against the wall to avoid a flying remote control from hitting me.

"I got a strike!" Chet announced happily, waving his bare claws in the air enthusiastically.

"And I almost got a black eye," I fired back at the crab by the television. "Watch where you fling that thing."

"Wouldn't have happened if you had just listened and strapped the damn thing to your wrist before playing," Johnny told the crab from his spot in the armchair. Shifting his attention to me, he asked, "What's up, sis?"

"The ceiling," I joked as I shut the door and continued, "I thought I would come by and see a smiling face."

Johnny smiled charmingly, his large tusks glinting in the sunlight that shone through a nearby window.

"Sorry, bro, I was talking about Javier," I clarified, smiling at said monster who came out of the kitchen as our conversation was unfolding.

"Of course you were," Johnny mumbled loud enough for me to hear.

Taking me into his arms, Javier said, "I thought I heard the voice of a lovely señorita."

I cast a confused look over my shoulder before shrugging at Javier. "Nope, just me."

"They're one in the same," said Javier before planting a brief kiss on my lips.

"Well, here comes my lunch from earlier," said Johnny, collapsing wearily against the back of his armchair.

I shook my head and said to Johnny, "You know, I really appreciate you trying to be happy for us."

Johnny gave Javier and me a plain look. "Hey, I know you two are going to do what you guys want no matter what anyone else says. As long as neither one of you hurts the other, I'll deal with it."

"Well, to show my thanks, I thought I'd agree to your suggestion from a few weeks back to make dumplings," I shared, holding up my packed paper bag.

Johnny grinned at me. "Just for that, I'll keep trying to be supportive."

"Dumplings!" Chet cheered after picking up his remote control from the floor.

"After that spaghetti and those gyros, I can only imagine how good your dumplings will taste," said Chip, smiling warmly from the couch on which he was reading a textbook.

"Aww, well, I better get started then," I declared.

"I'll help you out," Javier offered, following me to the kitchen.

"No funny business in there!" Johnny called to our retreating backs.

Ignoring Johnny, I entered the kitchen where I placed the bag of groceries onto the counter next to the microwave. A melody with strong percussions and light whistling, accompanied by the powerful voice of Katy Liz, filled the kitchen and I turned to see Javier had cranked on the radio sitting in the corner of the counter.

"Just something to keep us working," Javier proposed.

I smiled as I began unpacking the bag full of assorted ingredients and laying them out across the counter. I had decided to make four different kinds of dumplings – pork, chicken, shrimp, and eel – each mixed with its own combination of diced ingredients such as carrots, onions, and my secret spices. I figured that the variety would allow everyone to try something different and not get sick of one particular filling.

"What do you want me to start on?" Javier asked, approaching me from behind.

I paused to contemplate all of the tasks that went into making dumplings. "Can you wipe down the island and then set up the flour, the dumpling wrappers, two small bowls of water, and a large plate?"

Javier nodded before heading over to the sink to wash up.

Once my hands and the vegetables were clean as well, I fetched a cutting board and some bowls from a nearby cabinet, as well as the chef's knife from the wooden block on the counter. Bobbing my head to the catchy beat playing, I busied myself with dicing the vegetables and preparing the necessary fillings for the dumplings. It was hard not to be productive with music playing and I found myself moving more than just my head as I worked.

Javier's hearty laugh brought me out of my zone. "Do you always dance whenever you cook?"

"Only when there's good music playing," I admitted, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Well, keep moving those hips and I won't get anything done," said Javier with a saucy grin.

"Then I guess we'll all starve tonight," I quipped, winking at him.

Javier gazed at me admiringly before returning to his tasks.

The radio station that Javier had tuned into was in the middle of its commercial-free hour, so we were treated to the latest hits topping the charts in Monstropolis while we worked diligently. The whole activity put me in a really good mood and made me smile. There was so much to be happy about – I was doing well in school, I was making lots of friends, I reignited my love for dance, and I was dating a pretty awesome monster – and I thanked my lucky stars for all of the blessings that life had graciously given me.

By the time Javier finished setting up what I affectionately called 'dumpling central', the filling for the pork dumplings was ready to go. Grabbing two spoons from the utensils drawer, I strolled over to the island and placed them in the middle along with the marinated pork filling. Reaching into the open bag of flour, I scooped up a handful and sprinkled it over any part of the island that was exposed.

"What's that for?" Javier asked, watching the flour fall like delicate snowflakes.

"So the wrappers don't stick," I explained, picking up a pair of wrappers from their packaging and spreading some flour over them as well. Passing one to Javier and then taking a spoon in hand, I asked, "Ready to do this?"

"Let the lesson begin, Miss Worthington," said Javier with the air of one announcing the start of a sports tournament.

I laughed and said, "Okay, first, we'll put a teaspoon of meat in the center of the wrapper."

Javier watched my little demonstration before he took the other spoon, scooped a small ball of the pork filling, and placed it carefully in the middle of his wrapper. He then left his spoon in the bowl of meat like I did with mine.

"Now, run some water along the edges of the wrapper," I instructed, dipping a finger into one of the bowls of water that Javier had set out. "This will help us seal the dumplings."

Javier nodded and dabbed the circular border of his wrapper with water, being careful as to not tear the wrapper with his sharp feelers. Given how lengthy they were, it could easily happen if he wasn't careful.

"Next, fold the wrapper into a half-moon shape and crease the edges by making pleats along the top layer of the wrapper, not the bottom," I continued once Javier completed the second step.

Javier studied my actions carefully and followed along the way, sealing his dumpling with pleats, so that it resembled mine. He frowned at the end product, which was coming apart at the edges and revealing the filling inside. "It's opening up again."

"It can do that," I informed him, "but just add a little bit more water to fully seal it."

Javier took my advice; he coated the dumpling's edges with water and softly pressed them together to close it as much as he could. When he was finished, he held up his dumpling to compare it with mine and looked immensely relieved at not only how similar they looked, but also at the fact that his finally remained shut.

"You did it!" I proclaimed proudly. "Well done."

"Only because I had a wonderful teacher," said Javier, giving me a light nudge.

I smiled and asked, "Think you can do it again?"

Javier nodded confidently. "I know I can."

Placing my dumpling on the large plate before us, I suggested, "Why don't you keep going with the pork ones and I'll get started on the other fillings?"

"Will do," Javier replied promptly as his dumpling joined mine on the plate.

Once I rinsed my hands of the flour and dried them, I took my spot in front of the counter again and began to ready and mix the other fillings. Although it was just the two of us working, thank you wonderful but oh-so lazy brother of mine, I was hopeful that we would finish it all before the sun went down, so we could enjoy a delicious dinner with the entire fraternity.

A voice from the doorway spoke up and caused a shiver to run down my spine. "Sup, Jav?"

Spinning around, I saw Javier nod silently at Sulley to acknowledge his sudden arrival, the former's cold expression telling me that the relationship between the two was still as rocky as ever. I watched the latter's eyes travel to me and he smirked widely, leaning against the doorway in a manner that he supposedly thought was sexy.

"Nice to see you again, Danica," said Sulley, eyeing me like a starving Bruiser would eye an all-you-can-eat buffet.

"Sulley," I greeted simply before going back to dicing carrots.

The shrill sound of a phone repeatedly ringing echoed throughout the house. After a few rings, it stopped and was followed by Johnny's voice yelling, "Jav, it's your dad!"

I watched Javier put down his half-made dumpling, dust off his hands, squeeze past Sulley through the doorway, and re-enter the living room, leaving me alone with the blue behemoth. I went back to dicing rather loudly, hoping that the noise would eliminate any opportunity for further conversation between him and me.

"So," Sulley spoke up after a prolonged moment of silence, "I heard you and Jav are a thing now."

 _So much for ignoring him,_ I thought as I reluctantly met Sulley's eyes. I disliked the idea of making small talk with the wannabe RΩR but, sadly, I guess I had to for the sake of keeping things cordial in the house. "You heard right."

"You know, you can do so much better," Sulley told me, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

That remark irked me, but I kept my tone neutral in my response. "I don't think so. In fact, I'm fortunate that things turned out the way that they did."

"Is that right?" Sulley asked, his question laced with doubt.

"Oh, yeah," I replied, seeing the conversation that we were having as a chance to shut him up. "It means a lot that the rest of the RΩRs and the Greek community are so supportive of us."

"Yeah," said Sulley slowly, "but have you ever considered going for someone else?"

"Not once," I responded easily.

"Someone who can live up to their name?" Sulley tried, his louder voice telling me that he was now closer in proximity to me.

I kept running my knife through the carrots rather harshly, miffed by what Sulley was implying about Javier. I could feel my blood boil and my heartrate quicken in preparation for defending him in his absence. "I never cared for names, believe it or not."

Sulley scoffed and said, "You're dating a Rios."

"No, I'm dating Javier," I corrected, roughly snatching another rinsed carrot from the counter. "He just happens to be a Rios. Nothing would be different, even if his last name was."

There was a pause, and there was a glimmer of hope that Sulley finally got the hint, but then he opened his mouth again, "I'm just saying – "

"Oh, I know what you're saying and I don't appreciate what I'm hearing," I snarled lowly as I whirled around to show him that I was livid. "I also don't think it's wise of you to offend someone who isn't in the room, especially someone who outranks you in the fraternity in which you're trying to get officially initiated."

Unfortunately, Sulley was as persistent as he was foolish because he said, "Look, if you two ever call it quits – "

I cut him off by slamming my knife onto the cutting board, startling him and causing some bowls on the counter to rattle. Glaring at him, I said, "Okay, first of all, I would like for you to stay out of my personal life because you have no say in it."

Sulley straightened up immediately, clearly stunned by my gradual change in demeanor.

"Second of all," I continued, jabbing a claw accusingly at him, "I would like to remind you that I'm welcome here to do as I please, whereas your presence in this house is conditional pending the outcome of your final grades this semester. Should you somehow manage to earn the grades necessary to secure your membership in this fraternity, I will remind you that my brother and my boyfriend are full-fledged RΩRs and they probably won't react too well if they find out that you have been speaking ill of one of them and harassing me."

Sulley took a step back in either defeat or fear; it was clear that he wanted to obtain and keep his membership to Roar Omega Roar and knew that doing anything to upset the two highest-ranking members on the fraternity's chain of command would cost him that.

"And lastly," I mentioned, narrowing my eyes evilly at him, "since names matter so much to you, it would be in your best interest to hold your tongue or you will find out firsthand, from me, in a long and excruciating way, what the Worthington Wrath is all about."

By this point, Sulley's face had paled considerably and that told me that he finally knew that I meant business. If only my father could see the behemoth's face now, that his Worthington daughter, a non-Scaring major, had managed to instill fear in a Scaring major and a Sullivan to boot without unleashing a single roar. He would be so proud.

"Are we clear?" I asked sternly for confirmation.

Sulley gave me a strong nod, but didn't say a word, praise the Lizard.

At that moment, Javier waltzed back into the kitchen, instantly diffusing the tension with his return. He noticed that Sulley and I were facing each other and asked, "Everything good?"

"Oh, yes," I said with an air of feigned innocence. "Sulley was just wondering what we were having for dinner."

Sulley nodded swiftly and opened the refrigerator to grab a can of Blort. The sight of me casually running my knife along a sharpening stone, once he was finished, was enough to make him profusely excuse himself and disappear into the living room for the remainder of the afternoon.

* * *

With Javier and I working as a team, the lengthy process of wrapping and pan-frying dozens of dumplings took several hours as opposed to the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening. While I removed the trays of cooked dumplings from inside the oven where they were keeping warm and sorted them onto plates by filling, Javier cleaned up the island, set up some plates, and was even able to produce enough unused chopsticks from previous takeout orders to make the dining experience more authentic.

Dinner around the island was enjoyable and full of pleasant conversation and laughs; topics drifted from how our classes were going to the upcoming Howlaween party that Eta Hiss Hiss would be hosting. Noticeably silent throughout the entire meal was Sulley; he avoided all eye contact with me and only spoke whenever someone addressed him. Since the relationship between him and the other RΩRs was still on shaky ground, no one really said anything directly to him.

Before I knew it, I had a bunch of stuffed RΩRs hunched over on their bar stools around the island. As full as I felt, I forced myself off of my stool to arrange the many uneaten dumplings onto paper plates that I had found sitting inside one of the cabinets and cover them with sheets of aluminum foil. Javier saw to it that the used dishes and cutlery ended up in the sink.

"Man, those dumplings were tasty!" Bruiser exclaimed, patting his bulging belly.

"Can't argue there," said Chip, looking over to me. "What was that dipping sauce? My mouth is still on fire."

I laughed lightly and answered, "Spicy chili oil."

"It was hot, but a nice touch," said Chip, giving me an okay sign with his thumb and index finger.

"As great as the dumplings were, sis," Johnny began, "I don't want to see another one for the rest of the semester."

"Too many," Chet uttered, appearing to have no desire to move any time soon.

"What are we going to do with all of the leftovers?" Chip mused.

"Do you think any of the frats or sororities would be interested?" I asked the group as I put away the roll of aluminum foil into a nearby drawer. "I don't think they will say no to free food."

"You can try," Johnny suggested, resting his head and arms on the island, "but don't expect me to help you."

"Too full," Chet muttered lazily.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Fine, I'll do it myself. I have to head back down Frat Row on my way back to my dorm anyway."

"I'll help," Javier volunteered, coming to my side.

"That would be great, thank you," I said gratefully as I began carefully stacking the plates into two separate piles.

"Thanks again for dinner, Danica," said Chip, sounding sated.

"Yeah, thanks a lot!" Bruiser chimed happily.

"You're welcome guys," I replied amicably, taking a stack of plates into my arms.

Once Javier had a firm hold on the second pile of plates, we exited the kitchen, stepped out of the warm and toasty RΩR house and into the cool and crisp evening. Once on the well-lit street, we split up with Javier dropping by the houses on the left side of the cul de sac (those belonging to Jaws Theta Chi, Python Nu Kappa, Slugma Slugma Kappa, Slugma Oozma Python, and Gamma Roar Roar) and me stopping by the ones along the right (those of Slugma Kappa Theta, Eta Hiss Hiss, Argma Slugma Argma, Chi Phi Argma, and Omega Howl). Going from house to house was tiring and repetitive, but definitely helped to burn off all the dumplings that we ate. Plus, I felt good doing something nice.

"All good on your side?" Javier asked me as we met up again on the road.

"Aside from an Argma Slugma Argma cussing me out, just dandy," I answered in amusement.

Javier smirked and said, "She's probably just pissed that you took me off the market and not her."

"I wasn't trying to," I jested in amusement.

"You didn't have to," said Javier tenderly.

I smiled bashfully and asked, "Everything good on your side?"

Javier nodded. "Sí, but you should have seen how violently JθX came at me to get their hands on a plate. They acted like they hadn't eaten in years."

I laughed at the scene that I was picturing. "Aww, you poor baby."

Javier grinned and added, "But you were right; no one turned down a plate."

"Same here," I revealed, showing him my empty hands.

"What do we do with the extra?" Javier asked, holding out the last plate to me.

"That's Oozma Kappa's," I said, accepting the plate from him and checking the time on my wristwatch. "It's not too late. I'll stop by their place and drop these off before heading back to my dorm."

"Isn't their place off campus?" Javier questioned with a hint of concern.

"Yeah, but it's only a few blocks away," I told him. "Thank you for all of your help tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, no, it's dark out," Javier stated the obvious as I spun on my heels to walk off. "I'm coming with you."

I smiled back at his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, but I know the way even in the dark. I'll be fine."

"I know," said Javier, "but I would be beating myself up if something happened to you and I wasn't there."

"Unless Johnny got to you first," I reminded him.

"Oh, yeah," said Javier with a grim nod, "and I would like to live, so I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

I relented and took his arm. "Come on then."

* * *

Even though it was nine in the evening, the lights that illuminated the interior of Oozma Kappa's house and the open windows told me that at least one monster was awake. I was hoping that Terri and Terry were still up; their absence from my dance class the night before worried me and this visit was a good way for me to make sure that they were okay.

As Javier and I got closer to the house, I could hear the voices of some of the frat brothers floating out the window. Rather than walk right through the opening in the stone fence, I stopped in front of it and pressed a hand to Javier's chest to have him do the same.

"Something wrong?" Javier asked me, perplexed by my actions.

"No, but I think it's best if you wait for me here," I told him with a serious look. "They don't like the RΩRs and they might get mad if they find you on their doorstep."

Since Roar Omega Roar was notorious for picking on the Oozmas, thank you again fantastic brother of mine, Javier nodded understandingly and wordlessly passed me the last plate of dumplings.

With the plate in hand, I stepped onto the well-maintained property and travelled up the path to the porch. Reaching the front door, I knocked several times and waited for someone to open it. I hoped it would be the twins.

The door opened to reveal a chipper Don Carlton. "Good evening, Miss Worthington!"

"Just Danica, Don," I corrected kindly. "May I come in for a moment?"

"Certainly," Don replied, sliding aside. "We're just having hot chocolate."

Upon entering the house, I spotted Squishy lounging leisurely in the armchair while Art was perched on the ottoman. They both looked up at my arrival and seemed surprised to see me.

"Hey, Danica," Squishy greeted, his voice almost a whisper.

"Hey," I responded, noting his sudden meekness around me. "Where are the twins?"

"Who's at the door, Don?" Terri called, exiting the kitchen with his brother and a platter with four cups of steaming chocolaty goodness.

The minute I met their eyes, I could tell that they were not happy to see me like they usually were whenever they showed up to my dance class. While Terri looked at a loss for words, Terry looked extremely angry, outraged even.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Rios girlfriend?" Terry snarled venomously.

I sighed, realizing then why he was so upset. "You read the paper, didn't you?"

"We read it every day," said Terri as he and his twin slid the tray of cups onto the table next to today's issue of the Campus Roar. Its cover story and accompanying image reflected back at me.

"Now that you're dating a RΩR, I suppose you're here to mock us like they do," Terry guessed, scowling at me.

I shook my head, astonished that they would think such a thing. "No, you're my friends. I would never do that."

Terry sneered, "Yeah, right, you're the sister of one RΩR and the girlfriend of another. It's only a matter of time until they rub off on you and you turn on us."

I frowned at the idea. "Do you honestly think I would do such a thing?"

Terry shrugged. "Well, we didn't think you'd date a RΩR and now that you are, I suppose anything is possible."

Exhaling to maintain some composure during this tense situation, I said, "That same RΩR didn't object once when I said that I planned to bring you guys these dumplings tonight. In fact, he's outside right now waiting for me."

"What?" Terry roared, causing Squishy to bury himself deeper into the armchair. Whether the undeclared major was frightened by the knowledge of Javier being outside the house or by Terry's escalating anger, I was unsure of. "You brought him here?"

"Relax, he knows he's not welcome here," I assured him as calmly as I could, "but he didn't want me walking by myself in the dark, so he's just outside the fenced area."

Terry sniped, "Of course, he wouldn't want anything to happen to his precious Danica, his trophy girlfriend. What number notch are you on his belt again?"

"Terry," Don cautioned warningly.

Terry's eyes narrowed at the plate in my hands. "How do we know those aren't poisoned or something? Goblin knows your brother would be happy to be rid of us and what better way to do that then send his seemingly sweet and innocent sister to our house with a toxic plate of food?"

I gaped at the accusation and said, "Well, Javier and I made these for our dinner, so if it _was_ poisoned, I wouldn't be here right now."

"And that's how we want it to be," Terry spat bitterly. "Go back to campus and take that sorry excuse of a monster with you."

"Terry!" Don chastised like a father would to a misbehaving son.

Terry ignored his frat president and stormed up the staircase with Terri, who shot me a look of regret as he was unwillingly strung along. Silence fell onto the house before a door slamming shook it, causing some of the fine china belonging to Ms. Squibbles to clatter within the display case.

"I apologize on Terry's behalf, Danica," said Don gently.

I blinked rapidly to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. I hated crying in front of other monsters because I saw it as sign of vulnerability and that terrifies me. Holding the plate out to him, I said, "These are filled with either chicken, shrimp, pork, or eel, but no poison."

Don nodded knowingly and gladly accepted the plate. "We know, Danica, and we thank you. I'm sure they're delicious."

Squishy looked from Art to me and asked, "You would never hurt us right?"

"Never, guys," I vowed sincerely.

Don took my left hand and patted it gently with his right tentacle. "You have a good head on your shoulders, Danica. We know you wouldn't give Javier the time of day if he didn't treat you right."

I smiled at the mention of the monster standing outside the Squibbles property. "He does."

"And that's all that matters," said Don. "As long as Javier is good to you and you're happy with him, we're happy for you."

Squishy and Art nodded to show that they stood behind Don's statement.

I smiled appreciatively and said, "I fully planned on telling you guys about us."

"We know," said Art with a soft smile.

"Terry just needs some time and space to think," Don explained. "Eventually, he will accept it too."

"Wanna stay for hot chocolate?" Art piped up. "I'm sure Ms. Squibbles wouldn't mind whipping you up a cup."

I politely shook my head. "Thank you, but I should be heading back to campus. It's getting late."

Don nodded. "We understand. Thank you for stopping by."

"My pleasure," I replied, reaching behind me for the doorknob. "I'm sorry if I did anything to hurt either of the twins, but please know that I'm not sorry for who I chose to date."

Don smiled reassuringly. "You don't need to apologize for anything. If anyone needs to apologize, it's Terry. He's your friend and he should stand by you and your decisions. Once he realizes that, all will be well between you two again."

I inhaled and said, "Well, he knows where to find me."

"Have a good night, Danica," Don told me.

"You guys as well," I said. With one last look at the three frat brothers, I opened the door and walked out onto the porch. As soon as I heard the click of the door closing behind me, I let my face drop into my hand in anguish. My day, from beginning to end, did a complete one eighty and I wondered how it had gone downhill so quickly.

Javier, who was still waiting on the sidewalk, looked worried as I made my way back towards him. "¿Qué pasa?"

I sniffled, wiping a stray tear that slid down my cheek before Javier could see it. "I knew that there would be monsters who would not approve of us, but I never imagined that one of them would be someone whom I consider a friend."

Javier slid an arm around me and pulled me against him in a comforting embrace. "If the Oozma doesn't come around, whoever he is, you don't need him."

As blunt as Javier was when he spoke, I knew that he was right. Curling into his side, I really hoped that Terry would come to terms with my relationship with Javier and try to be happy for me. It would break my heart if he didn't, but I would respect his decision to walk away from our friendship if he felt the need to do so. Goblin willing, it wouldn't come to that.

Kissing my temple, Javier said, "Let's head back."

I nodded against his chest and we headed out into the night and into the unknown.


	16. Lesson

Making Our Mark

Chapter 16: Lesson

* * *

"Hate to break it to you, sis," said Johnny, plopping his lunch tray on the cafeteria table and seating himself across from me, "but you aren't going to set those cards on fire just by staring at them."

I sighed and threw the box onto the table in exasperation. The last few weeks had been incredibly busy and my packed schedule of doing schoolwork, teaching dance classes, cooking here and there for the entire RΩR fraternity, socializing, and avoiding the Perry twins like the plague was beginning to take a toll on my body both physically and mentally. The lingering subliminal blocks that hindered my ability to plan lessons for both my education and dance classes were only adding to the unnecessary stress.

"Are you trying to learn a magic trick?" Chip joked as he sat next to Johnny with his own lunch.

I smiled slightly at Chip's attempt to lighten the mood. "No, I'm trying to figure out how to use a standard deck of playing cards in a formative assessment."

"Why a deck of cards?" Chip inquired curiously.

"That's the assignment," I told him. "We have to use the deck of cards to assess student learning of a topic and I haven't a single idea what to do."

"What does the topic have to be?" Johnny asked, opening his can of Blort.

"It's up to us to choose the curriculum topic and the subject area," I explained, running my claws through my dark waves, "but I have no inspiration whatsoever and I'm running out of time."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," said Chip with the optimism exuded by a member of the campus's Smile Squad.

"I sure hope so," I muttered, stifling a yawn, "because I have to present it this Tuesday."

A sudden yelp caused dozens of heads around the cafeteria to turn towards our table and start laughing. Looking over the table, just past Johnny, I saw Squishy sprawled on the floor with his face to the cold and unforgiving tiles. His wrapped sandwich and milk carton, the latter which was thankfully still unopened, lay a few feet ahead of him.

Johnny, whose long tail was suspiciously wagging in delight, sneered at him, "Watch where you're going, marshmallow."

Squishy's flush of embarrassment was evident against his pale skin. Surrounded by the chortles of the other students, he scrambled to collect his lunch and scurried across the room and out the closest set of doors without a single glance towards the monster who tripped him.

Shaking my head disapprovingly at Johnny, who puffed his chest out with glee, I said, "I don't understand why you feel the need to treat some monsters the way you do, bro."

"That little marshmallow isn't a monster," Johnny scoffed condescendingly. "Real monsters are like you, me, Chip, and the rest of our frat."

"While I complete disagree with you on that first part, that's not an excuse to make things harder for them," I chided.

"They," Johnny began, emphasizing the pronoun as though it was a pest that needed to be crushed, "are disgracing the monster race by going to school here. If anything, they're making things harder on themselves for sticking around MU and thinking they can become something in this world."

"Just you wait, Johnny," I warned. "One day, those guys will surprise you."

Johnny snorted in derision and said, "I'll believe it when I see it."

I sighed in defeat, rubbing my forehead with the tips of my claws. I could channel all of the energy that I had left, as little as it was, to help Johnny see the worth in the monsters of Oozma Kappa, but it was ultimately up to him to change. Given what I had been witnessing, his chances of him perishing in an elevator accident were higher than those of him showing any sense of compassion for the Oozmas. I decided to drop it for the time being, especially when other matters in my life required my attention and strength.

Shortly after Squishy made himself scarce, Javier and Chet approached the table with trays of food in their hands and pincers respectively; Javier scooted close to me on my side of the table while Chet claimed the empty space available on the other side of Johnny.

"Estás bien?" Javier asked, sliding an arm around my shoulders and I knew that the question was directed towards me.

"It's just another tension headache," I grunted, closing my eyes. Any stress that I experience has a tendency to trigger tension headaches, making it feel like a giant vice is clamped around my skull. A good night's sleep is usually all it takes to help me reset, but that was not going to be on the agenda if I couldn't figure out what to do about my formative assessment assignment.

"Guys, you missed out," Johnny informed the new arrivals.

"On what, amigo?" Javier asked after kissing my throbbing forehead, a gesture that made me smile despite the pain.

"I tripped the little marshmallow Oozma and he went crashing into the floor face first," Johnny boasted as though the incident was a notable achievement that merited a glamorous trophy.

"Good one, Johnny!" Chet praised supportively.

"It's a shame that those Oozmas don't know their place," Johnny mused.

My eyes flew open at the remark and I shot out of my seat. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Johnny asked, confused by my sudden shift in behaviour.

"While I don't like your perspective on the Oozmas, Johnny, it just gave me a great idea for the assignment," I rambled, grabbing my half-eaten sandwich and deck of cards from the table.

Johnny, looking as baffled as his frat brothers, asked, "It did?"

"Oh yeah," I answered quickly. Darting to the other side of the table, I shamelessly threw my arms around Johnny and said, "Thanks for being such an ass."

"Uh, you're welcome?" Johnny responded dubiously.

Realizing that I forgot my bag by my seat, I hurried back around the table to grab it.

"Wait, what's your idea?" Javier spoke up, reaching out to take my arm when I was back in reach.

"I'll explain later," I promised and gave him a kiss. "I have to get to work."

Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I sprinted for the nearest exit, leaving three confused RΩRs to enjoy their lunch. The sudden rush of adrenaline that shot through my veins began to alleviate some of the pain from my pounding headache and I was determined to take the period of relief, however short it would be, to further develop my idea for my formative assessment assignment.

* * *

"Good morning everyone!" Professor Clark greeted cheerfully the following Tuesday morning. "Today is the presentation of your formative assessments using only a deck of cards. For many of you, this may be your first time doing any kind of teaching, but I assure you that you will do just fine."

I smiled to myself while riffling my deck of cards like a seasoned blackjack dealer, feeling confident about the task that lay ahead. I knew that this wouldn't be my first time teaching a lesson, which I felt gave me a bit of an edge over my classmates because I was used to speaking in front of a crowd of monsters, communicating clearly, and giving feedback without tripping over my own words or fainting out of nervousness.

"I'm excited to see what you all have come up with, but please bear in mind the expectations on the rubric that you will need to meet during the presentation of your formative assessment for a would-be lesson," Professor Clark reminded us as he took out a clipboard and a pen from inside the briefcase that he carried with him. "Now, with that said, would anyone like to volunteer to go first?"

I shot my hand into the air immediately. When it came to class presentations of any sort, I preferred to take my turn as early as possible to get it over with, but also to avoid the impulse of comparing myself and my work to the monsters who presented their work before I took my turn. It would lead me to questioning my own work and doubting it was good enough.

Professor Clark smiled at me and said, "The floor is yours, Miss Worthington."

I nodded and got gracefully to my feet. As I continued to shuffle the cards in my hands, I stepped down to the floor below and turned to address my peers seated in the auditorium-style seats before me. I saw them looking at me expectantly, some smiling and others bearing expressions of indifference, but having all eyes on me didn't make me anxious in any way. I prepared well, got some much-needed sleep, and was ready to deliver my presentation like I would a dance lesson.

Before any further words were uttered, the doors at the back of the room opened and Javier slid inside with the stealth of a professional Scarer. He spotted me watching him and winked at me before quietly taking a seat in an empty chair in the back corner of the room, alerting no one to his entrance or presence. If I wasn't facing the back of the classroom, I probably wouldn't have noticed the newest addition. I wondered why he came by – surely, my presentation wasn't going to be of any interest to him – but this was not the time to dwell on it. I needed to focus if I was going to successfully present my assignment that I worked so hard on.

Professor Clark, with one leg crossed over the other, smiled and said with a click of his ballpoint pen, "Whenever you're ready, Miss Worthington."

I nodded at him and then snapped right into teaching mode by saying, "Good morning everyone! We're going to start today's lesson with a little activity. I'm going to come around the room with a standard deck of playing cards. We're each going to select one card at random and keep it faced down, so we don't see its value."

One by one, students plucked a card from the deck that I had fanned out and resisted the temptation to sneak a peek at it. Javier even astonished me by drawing a card as I passed him by, but he said nothing. His expression was not cheeky or flirty, but more attentive and serious. It seemed that he was choosing to be my student than my boyfriend for the time being and I appreciated his willingness to refrain from distracting me during my presentation.

"Okay," I spoke up once the last monster chose a card, "does everyone have a card?"

A quick scan of the classroom picked up on the nodding heads of my peers, their cards pressed against their chests to hide the values from sight.

"Alright, let's take this moment to hold our cards to our foreheads, so that the values face outwards," I instructed clearly.

Everyone obeyed and rested their cards against their foreheads, flashing their diverse values and suits for the entire room's occupants to see.

"Now, the context for this activity is that we are all guests at a party," I explained, raising my own card to my forehead. I was curious as to what it was, but knew that I would find out soon enough. "For the next few minutes, we will socialize as guests do at parties. However, we must treat every guest we encounter based on the value of the card on his or her forehead."

Intrigue was soon written on the faces of my peers. Some looked excited to engage in the activity, which made me happy. Others, however, looked a tad apprehensive and I speculated it was either because they were worried about what the values of their cards were or they were unsure about how to interact with each other accordingly during the activity despite the instructions that I had given.

"What do you mean by treat guests by the value of their cards?" Jennifer, a red cyclops with beautiful dragon-like wings, asked.

Approaching Jennifer, I noted the Queen of clubs on her card and bent my knees in a graceful curtsy, "Well, Your Majesty, this is how I would greet you according to the value of your card."

Jennifer smiled brightly at the realization that she was certainly a royal.

"We will follow the scale of an ace being one and the lowest value and the king being the highest," I continued in my explanation to the class. "As we go around the room to socialize, I would like for you to think about how you would treat someone with a low value card, a medium value card, and a high value one. I would also like you to note how others treat you and try to guess the value of your own card."

The monsters who were initially intrigued by my activity looked even more eager to get the party started, no pun intended, while those who felt uneasy at first looked ready to mingle.

"Are you all ready?" I asked with the spirit of a cheerleader.

I received responses of affirmation in the form of words, nods, and even a few thumbs ups.

"Then, let's party!" I proclaimed enthusiastically.

Everyone wasted no time in standing up and circulating the room, creating pairs and clusters of three or four, only to disband and form new groups shortly afterwards. This process repeated, with some interactions lasting longer than others. A mix of words, both of worship and of vulgarity, filled the air, giving the lecture-style classroom the atmosphere of a party hosted on Frat Row.

No doubt I was a royal of some kind because I was greeted by curtsies and formal manners of address as I walked around the room to chat with my peers. One of them even bowed so low that his long nose touched the floor. It warmed my heart to see them embracing the activity as much as they were, especially those who were a bit nervous to participate in it at the beginning.

"Hello, Your Grace," said Javier when our paths crossed. He bowed and added, "It is an honour."

 _Oh, Goblin, this will be fun_ , I thought excitedly when I saw the three of diamonds on his card. Giving him the same look of disdain that I gave him when we first met, I questioned, "What are you doing here, loser?"

"I just invited myself," Javier answered casually. He was obviously not referring to the context of a party, but rather the class itself.

I laughed snootily and asked, "You actually thought you were welcomed here?"

"I didn't think that, Your Majesty," Javier answered smoothly, unaffected by my patronizing questions. "I simply came to see my beautiful lady in action."

I snorted in contempt. "I find it so surprising that someone beautiful would have the audacity to court you."

"So do I," Javier admitted, quirking a knowing smile. "She's above my station."

"Is she?" I asked with a pique of curiosity that was actually genuine and not part of my act. "I guess you should consider yourself fortunate then, peasant."

"Believe me, Your Grace, I do," said Javier with another bow.

I smiled innocently at him before raising my voice and declaring to the class, "Alright, party's over!"

All conversations that were taking place immediately came to a halt and my peers whipped their heads around to look at me. Even Javier looked a bit startled by the abrupt rise in the volume of my voice.

"Now," I began, lowering my card from my forehead, "let's take a moment to look at the values of our cards."

Eyes fell as everyone checked to see what cards they had and the murmurs that started floating around the room told me that their predictions were spot on or close to the actual values. Mine was the former; I suspected that I was a royal and, indeed, I possessed the Queen of hearts.

"Now that we have all learned what the values of our cards are, let's reflect on the activity," I said encouragingly. "For starters, how do you think this activity reflects the real world?"

"It shows us how we all treat others differently," a pink triclops with two horns for pigtails answered with her hand raised. I was unsure as to what her name was as she rarely participated in classroom discussions, so her contribution to mine took me by surprise.

"Unfortunately, we do," I admitted. "Would you like to share how you felt during the activity?"

"Well, I was a three," the triclops sadly revealed, "and I felt bad whenever someone insulted me or ignored me."

"I was a two, but I felt like a zero," a teal-coloured monster sporting a bowl-cut hairdo and a dull expression – I believe his name was Craig – shared. "The ways monsters called me names made me felt worthless, like I was nothing."

"That's exactly how I felt!" a red froglike monster with short waves for hair spoke up. His name was Bradley. "I felt like I had nothing, that I was nothing, that I had nothing to offer."

"Poor," Craig added. "An outcast."

"So, basically, those with low-value cards felt bad, worthless, and poor with nothing to offer," I summarized. When no one else voiced their thoughts, I looked to the three monsters who had contributed to the start of the discussion and asked them, "Which part of society do you believe these descriptions represent?"

"Those who live in poverty," the triclops responded.

"Maybe those who are bullied in school?" Bradley chimed in.

"Foreigners from other countries," said Craig.

"All excellent answers," I praised, satisfied by what I was hearing.

A dark yellow cyclops raised his hand and said, "I was a seven though, so I wasn't treated as badly."

"Would you like to elaborate on that, Chris?" I asked him kindly in an effort to keep the discussion going. Chris was an avid speaker during class, so I knew that he would be open to talking about his experience during the activity.

"Well, I wasn't treated like dirt, but I wasn't well-liked either," Chris explained. "It was almost like I was just put up with."

"Tolerated," Anthony, a chartreuse ball-shaped monster with three eyes and spikes protruding from every angle, specified. The card, which rested between two of his claws, was an eight of diamonds.

"Just average," Chris added.

"Tolerated, average, and simply put up with," I recalled. "Which part of society do you believe these words describe?"

Chris paused before answered, "Middle class, I think. You know, not poor, but not stinking rich either."

"In school, students who aren't bullied, but are also not known for doing well in school or in sports and stuff," Anthony included.

Jennifer beamed proudly and said, "Well, I had a Queen and I loved how I was treated."

"Why is that?" I prompted for further discussion.

"I felt special," Jennifer answered pretentiously. "Everyone worshipped me and, let's face it, why wouldn't they?"

It took a lot of self-restraint not to roll my eyes at that comment.

"I felt popular," Kenneth, an orange ball like triclops with striped arms, bragged. His card was a King of clubs. "I was well-liked. Everyone wanted to do things for me and with me."

"I was a Jack and felt so important," Cynthia, a light green cyclops with stripes down her slim body, remarked honestly. "Like I had a purpose."

"Feeling special, worshipped, popular, important, and purposeful," I recapped with ease. "Which part of society do you feel these descriptions represent?"

"Celebrities," Jennifer answered immediately. "Actors, models, singers, and the like."

"The filthy rich," Cynthia replied bluntly.

"Students who are popular," said Kenneth, "like the RΩRs."

"Roar Omega Roar!" Anthony hollered, thrusting a fist into the air.

"The RΩRs rock!" Chris exclaimed.

Not missing the way Javier smirked widely at the adoration directed towards his fraternity, I said to the class, "Okay, I would like you all to take a look at everyone around the room. Would you agree that we are all different?"

After quick glimpses around the room, students nodded in response.

"Would you also agree that we had all been treated differently because we are as different as the values of our cards?" I asked.

I received more silent nods as an answer.

"Would you say that's fair?" I questioned.

A bunch of heads shook vigorously.

"Then we better change that," I suggested, holding my card out in front of me with both hands.

The students watched in awe as I swiftly tore my card in half and then tossed the halves into the air with complete abandonment.

"I would like you to take this opportunity to rip up your cards," I instructed with a playful grin.

Not needing to be told twice, the students began shredding their cards in a frenzy, their inner monster child coming to the surface.

"Make as many pieces as you want," I incited, "and then throw them in the air."

Before long, torn pieces of playing cards were falling from the air like huge snowflakes on a cold and wintery day, landing on the ground, the desks, and the chairs behind them. Some students reached into the air to try and catch some of the shreds.

"We are different in so many ways," I told the students, "but we shouldn't let our differences define how we are treated."

The students listened carefully as I stood up straighter, eyeing each of them as I orated.

"In many ways, we are all the same," I stated, feeling like a master orator. "We all have a purpose in this world whether we know what it is or are still trying to find it."

"Yeah!" Chris cheered, slamming a fist into the air in support.

"We are all of high value," I continued boldly.

"Preach, sister!" Cynthia yelled in an upbeat manner.

"No matter what anyone else says," I reminded my peers, "we are all important and we all matter."

"Yeah!" the students chorused passionately.

"I hope you all enjoyed this activity, a great way to kick off a lesson about discrimination and how we can combat it," I finished. Bowing my head, I said, "Thank you."

Cheers rang out from around the classroom, causing me to look up and smile joyfully Everyone in the room was clapping, seemingly having enjoyed my presentation. Looking towards the back of the room, I saw Javier still on his feet and applauding with the rest of my peers, wearing an expression of immense pride and admiration on his face.

"Impressive activity, Miss Worthington," Professor Clark remarked once the noise level gradually decreased. Glancing down at the notes that he had jotted down, he continued, "Firstly, your activity served as a creative hook; it piqued the interest of your students and is related to your would-be lesson on discrimination and ways of combatting it."

I nodded, my smile fuelled by both the positive feedback that was issued and the nervousness of what had yet to come.

"Secondly, I really admire how the activity served as a formative assessment to determine how much students knew about discrimination prior to conducting a lesson about it," Professor Clark continued. "Your open-ended questions encouraged discussion and reflection about the activity and the topic amongst the students, and the praise that you gave out also motivated them to participate more."

I exhaled, trying to ignore my heartbeat pounding incessantly against my ribcage.

"Finally, I commend you for your use of inclusive language and positive attitude throughout the entire presentation," Professor Clark added, finally looking up to meet my eyes. "By using words like 'we' and 'us' rather than just 'you' and smiling as you spoke, you engaged all of the students and kept them engaged. Furthermore, you circulated the room during the activity and even participated during it, demonstrating your willingness to participate and not just instruct."

I held my breath as Professor Clark's lips curved into a broad smile.

"Overall, Miss Worthington, your formative assessment was incredibly creative, well-planned, and well-executed," Professor Clark praised, his eyes as warm as his smile. "I'm very pleased."

I exhaled in relief as the cheers and claps of my peers filled my ears once more. As I was relishing in the moment, I saw Javier take the opportunity of my distracted classmates to nod approvingly at me before sneaking out of the classroom.

* * *

As soon as the last presentation of the day wrapped up, Professor Clark dismissed us and we began filing out of the classroom, chatting about the past hour and twenty minutes of one formative assessment after another. I still wore a smile on my face as I headed for the door, mentally checking off another assignment on my long to-do list. Based on Professor Clark's feedback and the reactions of my peers, it was safe to say that I likely did well on my presentation and I was glad that it was over and done with.

"Hola, Señorita Worthington."

"Goblin, Jav," I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest the moment I caught him leaning against the wall next to the classroom door. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Lo siento," said Javier, pushing himself off of the wall.

"Were you waiting out here all this time?" I asked incredulously as we walked down the hallway. I assumed that he had somewhere else to be when he left earlier. Apparently, he didn't.

"Sí, but I did a little reading while I waited," Javier explained, showing me the textbook in his upper left hand that he had apparently brought with him.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Well, I have grades to keep up, being a RΩR and all," Javier pointed out with a grin.

"No, I mean, why did you wait outside the room for me?" I clarified. "I would have told you eventually how I did."

"I know, but I couldn't wait to tell you that you were great in there," said Javier. "If my high school teachers were as good as you, I would have actually liked going to school."

I laughed. "I think you're incredibly biased."

"Nah, I just know a good teacher when I see one," said Javier, winking at me.

I smiled and tucked my left arm around his lower right arm while Javier put his upper right arm around me. This side embrace quickly became our favourite way of getting around from place to place whenever we were together. Regardless of what other monsters thought about us, whether it was good or bad, I was happy to be by his side and I knew that he was just as happy, if not happier, to have me on his arm.

Upon exiting the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I spotted Terri and Terry speaking to Don, Squishy, and Art by a lamp post. The twins had their backs to the building, so they didn't see me wave, but turned around when Don, Squishy, and Art waved back at me. When the twins laid eyes on me, Terri gave a small and sheepish smile, which I took as a good sign. Terry, however, scowled at me as though I had shattered his favourite tea cup.

"Come on, guys," the taller twin hissed, beckoning for his frat brothers to follow him, "let's go somewhere more pleasant."

"Sure, change the view," Javier spoke up, directing his gaze to Terry and it looked far from friendly, "but there's not much that can be done for that bitter personality of yours."

"Jav!" I chided in a disapproving tone.

"Your words don't hurt me, Rios," Terry sniped with a tenacity that I had never seen from an Oozma before.

"Maybe not, but yours hurt my sweet señorita," Javier snarled, taking a step forward towards the Oozmas, "and that was a big mistake."

"Javier, no!" I cried warningly, pushing against his chest to prevent him from advancing any further. "Don't." Glancing at the Oozmas, I gently said, "Go, guys."

"Gladly," Terry spat before dragging his twin off in the direction of the main gate to campus.

I exchanged apologetic looks with Don, Squishy, and Art before they hurried after the twins. Inwardly thankful that the situation didn't escalate to a violent level, I asked an aggravated Javier, "Have you learned nothing from my presentation earlier?"

"Loads," Javier grumbled, glaring at the twins' retreating backs.

"So what was that?" I barked, shocked by what had just transpired.

"Honestly, I wasn't going to say anything," Javier muttered, "but then that twin weasel opened that hole of his and, well, he was asking for it."

I sighed, calming myself down. "Terry's obviously still upset about us. I'm not surprised that he lashed out."

"How can you still defend him after what he said to you?" Javier asked me in disbelief.

"Because I still have hope that he will come around," I answered surely.

"He's lucky one of us does then," Javier murmured lowly.

Patting the arm that I was holding, I said, "I don't want anyone to get into any arguments or fights over me."

Javier's face softened slightly when his eyes met mine again, but some of his features remained hardened. "I can't stand aside and let someone disrespect you like that."

"I appreciate that," I told him with a smile, "but you know that I can hold my own."

"Claro," Javier agreed, kissing my temple. "At least those Oozmas don't like going to Greek parties, so we won't be seeing them this Thursday night."

"Are you excited about the Howlaween party?" I asked him in an attempt to change the subject to a more pleasant one.

Javier nodded as we resumed our stroll in the direction of the troll bridge. "Sí, the RΩRs may be the scariest monsters on campus, but the HSSs are the creepiest. No better place to host a Howlaween party than at their house."

"Makes sense," I said with a nod.

"You're going with me, right?" Javier checked.

I shrugged. "If I am, I better decline George's invitation then."

"What?" Javier roared, sending a few birds flying away from a nearby tree. "Sanderson asked you to go with him to the party?"

"No, he asked me to go fly a kite," I responded sarcastically. "What else could he want me to do?"

"Dumb JθX," Javier growled, his eyes gleaming with determination. "When I see that orange ball of fur next, I swear he will –"

My sudden burst of laughter cut off whatever George's fate was going to be in the claws of my boyfriend. Glancing up at Javier, I noticed his confused and outraged expression, which caused me to laugh even more.

"Did you just play me?" Javier asked in an accusatory, yet amused tone of voice.

I nodded, wiping tears of mirth that were spilling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry, Jav, but I couldn't help it. The opportunity presented itself."

Javier chuckled and mumbled, "You little deceiver."

"Did you honestly think I would go with anyone else, but you?" I asked him teasingly.

"I can't even imagine you going with anyone else, but me," Javier answered, pulling me closer to him.

"Glad we're on the same page then," I quipped, sliding my hand lower to intertwine our claws.

"Come on, let's go grab lunch," Javier suggested with a smirk, "and because of that little stunt you pulled, it'll be on you."

"Fair enough," I replied, smiling in acceptance.


	17. Howlaween

Making Our Mark

Chapter 17: Howlaween

* * *

My silver corset-style dress – a fusion of a sequined leotard and a floor-length hem down the back – sparkled under the bright lights as I darted around the floor of Studio D, creating precise formations with my arms, all in time with the sharp melody of violins and soft percussion that was playing in the background. While the tune was similar to most tango songs, it had the powerful beats of a paso doble and that was the style that I was dancing.

Naturally, I didn't hold back from weaving steps of other dance styles into my ballroom choreography, including forehead-level forward kicks and a series of consecutive and rapid pirouettes. Each step that I executed was strong in nature, yet was artistic in appearance. I was determined to create the illusion that the routine was easy to dance, even though some of the more challenging moves were only made possible after many years of training, sweat, and tears.

As the strong beats slowed down and softened in volume, my choreography became more fluid, more contemporary even. My final move was spinning counter clockwise and giving the hem of my dress a quick whip to the front when I came to a sudden stop. The hem gracefully fluttered back down, revealing my fierce stare in the mirror before me. I could feel my heart pounding incessantly against my heaving chest as I tried to regulate my breathing again.

"And…cut!" a purple monster with long limbs and a small afro shouted from one of the corners of the studio.

Lowering my arms down to my sides, I breathlessly asked, "You got it all, Daniel?"

"Every single step," Daniel confirmed, gently patting the top of his hi-tech camera, which was perched on a tripod.

"You looked like a futuristic warrior Queen," said Lisa, a yellow monster with orange stripes and a matching ponytail. She was dubbed the peacemaker of our group of four and was great at helping us understand everyone's different perspectives. Her approaches helped us avoid any major disagreements that could have hindered our progress on our project for Pedagogy of the Arts.

"Thanks," I replied, flashing her a smile. "Do you think we'll need another take or two?"

A ball of purple hair, small hands, and a set of legs shook itself in the corner of the room. She was often very quiet, much like she was now, but her organizational and note-taking skills spoke wonders about her work ethic and I was thankful that she was part of our group.

"I agree with Michelle," said Daniel. "I think that's a wrap on filming."

"Great," I said, wiping away the sweat that was glistening on my forehead. I learned from watching the footage that he captured of Michelle doing origami and Lisa playing the harp that he was quite adept at filming and I trusted him when he said that we had all that we needed.

"It should take me no more than a few days to finish editing the footage together," Daniel informed us. "When I have a draft, we can meet, so I can show it to you guys and you can suggest any changes."

"Sounds like a plan," Lisa agreed.

Michelle simply nodded.

"I'm cool with that," I said, only to wince.

Lisa shot me a look of concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I answered, stroking my lower back where I felt the tinge of pain shoot through me. "I think I just overdid it with the routine."

Daniel laughed as he finished packing up his filming equipment. "Well, that was a pretty powerful piece."

"Yeah, you were probably just going at it too hard," Lisa reasoned gently.

Michelle nodded silently again, the strands of her hair flopping freely.

"Now that we're done filming," Lisa began, glancing at her wristwatch, "who's up for grabbing dinner in the cafeteria?"

"Me!" Daniel chimed in eagerly, swinging his camera bag over his shoulder.

Michelle, once more, nodded without a word.

"You guys go ahead," I insisted kindly. "I'm not really hungry."

Lisa nodded. "Okay, if you sure. We'll see you at the Howlaween party, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I told her with a smile.

Lisa smiled back before she followed Daniel and Michelle out of the studio, leaving me with the music equipment and my thoughts on the upcoming Howlaween party being hosted by Eta Hiss Hiss in a few hours. While I prided myself for being on top of my responsibilities in life, choosing a costume for the party was not at the top of that list and I was a tad ashamed to admit that the task had slipped my mind during the busy week.

Studying my reflection before me, I noticed that my makeup remained intact despite the sweat coating my skin. The smoky eyeshadow, hard-angled eyebrows, and carefully-painted lips intensified my facial features. It was a bolder look that I usually reserved for dance recitals and competitions, but it definitely fit the warrior Queen character that I was portraying for the video. So did the teardrop crystal headpiece with chains that I had sewn into my hair.

Doing a quick spin on the spot, I admired how my costume hugged every curve in my body. The front part of the dress was missing the skirt, exposing the silver shorts underneath and my legs that appeared miles long thanks to my choice in heeled footwear. The matching capped sleeves and the gauntlet bracelets that went up to my elbows added to the whole warrior ensemble, one that I wore during my last recital at my ballroom dance school. It was one of my favourite costumes that I had worn for any performance and I had always wanted to find a reason to break it out again, even for just one night.

I figured, why not for Howlaween?

 _At least I don't have to change_ , I thought and laughed before tearing my eyes away from my reflection to pack up the music equipment.

* * *

The three-floor Eta Hiss Hiss house on Frat Row consisted of many curtain-covered windows and was flanked by bare trees that cast spooky shadows onto the walls of grey bricks, both adding an aura of mystery to the entire building. The roofs were pointed and had what looked like metal-like fences lining the edges. The house's chimney billowed smoke and a black metal fence and gate surrounded the stone steps that led up to the matching porch and wooden front door. With its haunted house features, it made sense to host a Howlaween party there.

Upon stepping through the open doorway, I came across a dimly-lit living room full of monsters in assorted costumes, ranging from innocent angels to terrifying beasts. Most of them were engaged in lively conversations, which was easy to do since the eerie music not only reflected the theme of the party, but was playing at a volume that was high enough to dance to and low enough to still speak without screaming. Other monsters, I noted, preferred to lean against the walls or rest on seats and observe the action from afar.

While in search of any face familiar to me, which proved difficult given the number of monsters wearing masks and face paint with their costumes, I physically bumped into someone, nearly causing me to collide into a table overflowing with snacks. Regaining my sense of balance, I looked up to meet the eyes of a familiar arch sporting a rainbow-coloured afro, a pair of big red shoes, white face paint, and matching gloves.

"Hey, Danica!" the monster greeted enthusiastically.

"Oh, Art, I'm so sorry," I said apologetically.

"No worries!" said Art and smiled cheerfully. "It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you, too," I told him, smiling sincerely, "but I'm surprised to though, here and now of all places and times."

Art laughed. "Yeah, Oozma Kappa usually avoids Greek parties, for obvious reasons, but it doesn't mean we aren't curious as to what goes on. We figured what better time to check one out than on Howlaween?"

"True," I said and then scanned our crowded surroundings. "Are the others here too?"

"Nope, just me," Art piped up. "We thought we would be less of a target if only one of us showed up in costume and saw what's hot."

I nodded understandingly. "Well, you look great."

"Thanks, so do you," Art replied. "You been doing alright? It's been a while."

"I know," I agreed, "but I'm only keeping my distance because I don't want to anger Terry any more than I already did. How is he anyway?"

Art shrugged. "He's okay, but he's grumpy that no one in the house is taking his side."

"Are you serious?" I asked, astonished by the news of the rift that had apparently formed between the taller twin and his frat brothers since my last visit to their house.

Art nodded solemnly. "Yeah, Terri doesn't talk to him unless he has to. Squishy is scared that anything he says could set him off, so he's been quieter than usual. Don tries to give him advice and help him see things from your point of view, but hasn't gotten through to him yet. Even Ms. Squibbles doesn't say much to him; she just smiles when she gives him food and says she available whenever he's ready to talk."

I felt a tremendous amount of guilt weighing down on my shoulders like two slabs of concrete. "I'm sorry if I made living together awkward for you guys."

"Don't be sorry, Terry's just stubborn," said Art bluntly. "It's your life to live and he should support that, just like the rest of us do."

I sighed dejectedly, toying with one of my bracelets.

Art must have noticed my immediate change in mood because he added with an air of optimism, "He'll come around. He can't stay mad at you forever."

"I hope not," I said with a small smile. "I miss seeing the twins in my dance class and hanging out with all of you guys."

"We miss hanging out with you, too," said Art. "Maybe we can do lunch together tomorrow at the Bronze Ladle, just you, me, Don, and Squishy? I wish Terri with the 'I' could join, but it'll be hard to do when you're a conjoined twin, you know?"

I smiled gratefully. "Lunch sounds wonderful. Does eleven work for you all?"

Art paused, probably to consider his schedule and those of his frat brothers, before he grinned and said, "Eleven works. I'll let the guys know."

"I look forward to it," I told him, smiling brightly.

"Well, I'm off to go dance without being pelted with food or shoved aside," Art declared in an official sort of tone. "See you tomorrow!"

I waved at Art as he wormed his way onto the dance floor to the beat of the new song that was playing. I laughed, watching him do his version of the worm in between the other dancing monsters. His carefree nature, you know, not giving a rat's furry behind about what anyone said or thought about him was just so charming. If only he could show that side more in public without the costume. He might inspire someone.

Arms sliding effortlessly around my waist shifted my focus and I was about to roughly elbow their owner, until a suave voice murmured lowly into my ear, "Hola, you gorgeous thing, you."

Leaning into the warm embrace, I smiled coyly and said, "I'd be careful if I were you."

The same smooth voice asked, "Why should I?"

"My boyfriend is probably watching," I explained, feeling a head rest on one of my shoulders and a free hand lay on another.

"He is."

"Then you better start running," I joked, letting my hands settle over those on my waist.

"Not without you."

I laughed, turning my head to finally meet Javier's gaze and I noticed how they were dark shadows shaded around his eyes, giving a more smouldering appearance to his already sinister look.

"Leave him," he whispered. "Run away with me."

I snickered and continued to play along. "To where?"

"I'll have to get back to you on that," said Javier, "but want something to eat or drink in the meantime?"

"I'm not hungry, but a drink sounds good," I told him. "Surprise me."

Javier kissed me and then pulled away to begin his search for drinks since the table that I nearly fell into earlier only held food.

I marvelled at his choice in costume as he sauntered off, complete with a patterned maroon and black vest, grey dress shirt, black slacks, and a massive black and maroon cape that tumbled down behind him to just below his knees. A lot of female heads turned his way as he passed, including those of several Argma Slugma Argma sorority sisters. I couldn't blame them, as Javier made one sexy vampire, but hoped that they knew that gawking at him was all that they were allowed to do.

"Eyeing your monster candy, are you?"

I turned to see Brynn had appeared at my side, completely decked out in black garb. With pointed ears on a headband, a cotton romper, and a long tail that whipped behind her, she made an absolutely adorable cat.

"Goblin, he's fine," my blue friend remarked, letting out a high-pitched whistle before taking a sip of the contents in her plastic cup.

"Brynn!" I scolded playfully.

"What, it should be illegal for him to be that hot," stated Brynn, her glazed eyes still on Javier's back, "and to be fully clothed."

"Brynn!" I chided again at her lack of filter. Although she was type of monster to speak her mind, I could have lived without hearing her thoughts about undressing Javier with her trio of eyes.

"Just stating the facts," said Brynn and giggled deliriously. "Relax, honey, I know he's off limits."

I felt one of my eyebrows arch upwards in doubt. "Are you sure about that?"

"As sure as I am about the RΩRs being the hottest things to ever walk this planet," Brynn responded, making a sizzling sound with her teeth pressed together.

"I'd rather not think about my brother that way, thank you," I told her with a shudder, "nor about any RΩR who's not my boyfriend."

Brynn scoffed. "Javier's not the only RΩR with a fine ass, you know."

Shaking my head at her, I asked, "How much have you had to drink already?"

"Beats me," Brynn replied carelessly before knocking back more of her drink, "but I'm feeling great."

"Of course you are," I murmured knowingly.

"Well, if you'll excuse me," Brynn slurred, the blending of syllables making the five words almost impossible to distinguish from one another. "I'm off to find me a piece of RΩR tail to bite."

I watched with raised eyebrows as Brynn stumbled off onto the dance floor, losing herself in the crowd and in what was most likely a heavily spiked drink, and I sighed. I had seen Carla and Maria in the house earlier while I wandering around, so I hoped that they would be able to keep an eye on her and help her back to their house at some point because, given how tired I was feeling, I wasn't sure if I would have the strength to support her.

Javier returning with two closed cans of Blort prompted me to peel my eyes away from my intoxicated friend.

"Thanks," I said, accepting the can that he held out to me.

Javier grinned and opened his drink. "Busy day? I haven't seen you around."

I nodded wearily. "Yeah, two lectures, a midterm for Philosophy of Education, choreographing for next week's dance classes, and filming for my group project in between it all."

"I'm surprised you're still standing," Javier remarked before taking a gulp of Blort.

"Trust me," I said, sliding an arm around his torso and leaning into him, "I'll probably cave as soon as I get back to my dorm."

Javier chuckled, wrapping his lower left arm around my waist. "You should take it easy."

"I'm here with you, aren't I?" I reminded him, tapping his chest with my closed drink.

"That you are," said Javier, his face only inches from mine, "and, in case I wasn't clear earlier, you look stunning."

"Like I would show up as anything less," I quipped with a laugh. "Thank you though."

Javier was about to fully close the distance between our lips when he was shoved against me, causing his head to smack into mine and a few Spanish swear words to fly from his mouth.

Rubbing my forehead, I turned to lash out at the culprit behind our collision and wasn't surprised to see Chet scuttling past us onto the dance floor, waving his cowboy hat in the air like the party animal that he was. His recklessness caused him to accidentally whack several monsters along the way, irritating them in the process, but he seemed to pay no mind to his actions.

"Cuidado, Alexander!" Javier shouted, a warning that Chet either didn't hear or chose to ignore.

"I know he's a spirited little thing, but is he usually this out of it during parties?" I asked, watching the crab in question twirl his hat like a lasso.

"That would be the alcohol," Javier answered, shaking his head. "Thanks to Jaws Theta Chi, he's going to be a pain to deal with tomorrow."

"Have fun with that," I told him with a laugh. "Are any of the other RΩRs here?"

Javier nodded, scanning the room. "Sí, Johnny's probably somewhere with his tongue down some chica's throat, Bruiser's probably raiding the fridge in the kitchen, and…is that your friend flirting with Chip?"

Frowning in disbelief, I turned towards the staircase and, sure enough, Chip, who was wearing a leopard-print headband and matching one-shoulder cave man costume that exposed his well-defined muscles, was leaning back against the railing of the staircase and didn't seem to have any objections to having Brynn shamelessly draped over his arm, her eyes alight with mirth.

"Does she have a thing for him?" Javier asked, amused by Brynn's coquetry.

"She never mentioned anything," I admitted. "What about Chip?"

Javier shook his head. "Nothing."

I watched Chip tip his can of Blort into Brynn's cup in a toast, appearing to be enjoying her company. "She's a few glasses short of passing out, so I'm not sure if the alcohol is clouding her judgement or amplifying some hidden feelings that she never knew existed until tonight."

"Don't worry," Javier assured me. "Chip won't mess with her."

"I don't think he will either," I said in agreement. "He's not a bad guy."

"Neither am I," Javier added, stretching his cape around me with his upper left arm and enveloping me in a cozy cocoon.

"I know," I said, gazing up at him fondly. Now pressed against him, I could easily make out the details of the irises in his eyes. "No disrespect to Chip or anything, but I'd like to think that I got the pick of the RΩRs."

"You're just realizing that now?" Javier joked, resting his forehead against mine.

"Well, my busy schedule has kept me from doing a lot of things," I protested defensively.

"Guess we better make use of the free time that you have then," said Javier and finally kissed me.

I squealed into the kiss as I felt him tighten his hold on me. Sliding my arms over his shoulder and crossing my hands behind his neck, I pulled him towards me and returned the kiss with the intensity of the fire burning within the pit of my stomach. Being with Javier elicited sensations from within me that I found difficult to put into words, but I thoroughly enjoyed how good they made me feel.

The sweet moment, unfortunately, came to an abrupt end when searing pain shot through me and I hissed in response.

Javier frowned at my abrupt shift in behaviour and asked me, "Everything okay?"

I nodded quickly. "It's nothing."

"No, it isn't," said Javier, loosening his hold on me. "You don't just flinch for nothing."

I shrugged it off and said, "It was just another sharp pain."

"Another?" Javier inquired, looking even more concerned now after having learned that the pain wasn't the first of the day for me.

I nodded again. "I felt it earlier in my lower back, but I think it was just because I danced too hard when filming."

"And now?" Javier prodded for more information.

"Now it was here," I answered, resting a hand over the lower right area of my abdomen.

Javier paused and asked, "Maybe it's something you ate?"

"I actually haven't eaten since breakfast this morning," I confessed.

"¿Qué?" Javier questioned in surprise.

"I wasn't hungry," I explained, wiping my sweat-covered forehead. "Besides, it was my usual breakfast wrap, so I doubt I have food poisoning."

"It has to be something," said Javier, narrowing his eyes at me.

Looking around at the house, I said, "Goblin, have these HSSs ever heard of air conditioning?"

Tilting his head at me, Javier said, "It's on full blast."

"Then why do I feel like I just fell into an active volcano?" I questioned, fanning myself with my hand.

Javier took my chin in a pair of his hands, only to slide one up the side of my face to my forehead and that was when his mouth fell open in shock. "You're hot."

"I know," I replied with a wink, "but I appreciate you reminding me."

"No, I mean, you're burning up," Javier clarified, watching me carefully. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," I replied in exasperation, taking his hands off of my face. "Honestly, you worry too much."

"Someone has to," said Javier, caressing my back.

As his hand ran over my hip, I crouched forward in immense pain. "Holy fangs!"

"I barely touched you," Javier told me. "Now I seriously think you're not okay."

I was about to respond when I suddenly felt sick. Feeling something unpleasant quickly work its way back up my throat, I clamped a hand over my mouth and darted over to unleash it into the closest container that I came across. Unfortunately, for the partygoers, that was the huge bowl of salsa dip sitting on the snack table next to us.

Javier, who was still by my side, spoke up, "Danica, I think there's something really wrong with you."

"Gee, Jav, you sure know how to flatter a girl," I said sarcastically as I straightened up woozily. My little hurling episode seemed to have emptied my body of its stomach contents and whatever energy I had because I immediately felt drained.

Studying me closely, Javier said, "Something is clearly making you sick. I think we need to get you checked out."

"I think I just need to sleep it off," I assured him even though my vision was starting to get blurry, but I wasn't about to admit to that. "Besides, student health is closed by now and so are probably any local clinics."

"Then we'll go to the hospital," Javier declared.

Although I was starting to feel even more lightheaded, I said, "Jav, I think you're overreacting. I'm sure whatever it is, it's nothing serious."

"Well, I think it is," Javier insisted, taking me into his arms. "We need to find Johnny."

Feeling my knees begin to wobble in weakness, I slumped against Javier's chest and mumbled something inaudible.

That was when everything went black.


	18. Recovery

Making Our Mark

Chapter 18: Recovery

* * *

"Your mother and I have told you numerous times to keep an eye on your sister when she started school at MU."

 _Dad?_

"I know, Dad, and that's what I've been doing!"

 _Johnny?_

"And, yet, look where we are now."

"Dearest, what happened to Danica was beyond anyone's control."

 _Mom?_

"Did you ever stop to think what might have happened if she was alone? I swear, Johnny, you always – "

I tuned out of the rest of my father's rant as I struggled to open my eyes, squinting them to adjust my sense of sight to the bright light of my surroundings. From what I could tell, I was laying across a bed and surrounded by so much white, from the pasty walls to the foreign machines and cords that were positioned nearby. I tried to move my hands to push myself to sit up, but found a heavy weight keeping my left one immobile.

That was when a voice next to me rang out, "Danica!"

Turning my head to the left, I saw Javier hunched over in a chair with my left hand in one of his. He looked alarmed, as if I had sprouted extra arms before his eyes. "Jav?"

Footsteps thundered as additional figures approached my bed and I immediately recognized my mother and Johnny; while my mother wore an expression of love and tenderness, Johnny's was more of annoyance and relief.

"I'll get the doctor," my father spoke up as he strode out of the room with an air of fierce determination.

While Johnny remained at the foot of my bed, my mother breezed over to the right side, her violet eyes running up and down my body. In terms of physique, I took after her a lot. In fact, one could say that the only traits that I received from my father were the mahogany horns, the purple in my hair, and the stubborn attitude.

"What's going on?" I inquired groggily to no one in particular.

"You're in the hospital, sweetie," my mother revealed, gently running her claws through my hair.

"What?" I questioned in surprise, looking to Javier for some sort of explanation. "Why?"

"Do you remember anything from the night before?" Javier asked me, repeatedly rubbing a claw over my knuckle.

After a moment of unclear reflection, I answered, "I remember being at the Eta Hiss Hiss Howlaween party, but the rest is kinda fuzzy."

Javier was about to speak again when the doctor entered the room, followed by my father whose lips were curved into a frown. It was rare to see my father smile; he usually reserved smiles for public-speaking engagements or important social events. The rest of the time, he came across as stern and unapproachable. His strict and work-a-holic personality had a tendency to carry over from the scare floor to his life outside of Monsters Incorporated, making it difficult for monsters who didn't know him well to interpret his feelings. For instance, when he nodded at me in approval for getting accepted into Monsters University, he looked like someone crashed his shiny Mercedes-Fangz and got away with it.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake, Miss Worthington," said the doctor, smiling brightly. His cheerful demeanor reflected the warm yellow of his lizard scales. "I'm Doctor Cole. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and confused," I admitted honestly, toying with the sleeve of my hospital nightgown.

Doctor Cole chuckled lightly. "Well, that's to be expected for someone who just went under anesthesia for an appendectomy."

If it was out of it earlier, I certainly was wide awake now. "Appendectomy? I'm at the hospital?"

"Well, it's not ethical to perform surgical procedures at a sorority house," the doctor joked.

"You weren't feel too well at the party," Javier reminded me as I tried to process the news. "You were in pain and burning up a storm."

"Jav said you also hurled into the bowl of salsa dip," Johnny piped up in amusement.

"All symptoms of appendicitis," Doctor Cole told me, "including feeling lightheaded."

"You passed out," Javier told me. "I caught you though before you hit the floor."

I frowned in concern at the doctor. "Will I be okay?"

"Yes, Misters Worthington and Rios rushed you to the hospital and once my team discovered what was going on, we were able to remove the appendix before it could burst," Doctor Cole explained. Glancing between Johnny and Javier, he asked them in a teasing tone, "An ambulance was too good for you two?"

"I wasn't going to call and wait for one," said Johnny, defending his actions. "You said yourself, Doc, that it was a close call."

"It was?" I spoke up in horror.

Doctor Cole nodded solemnly. "Another half an hour or so and your appendix would have burst and send toxins into your body. This would have led to complications and a possibly fatal outcome if Misters Worthington and Rios didn't act as quickly as they did."

I threw my head back against the pillow and exhaled at my narrow escape of death. "Goblin."

"The good news is that the laparoscopic surgery was a success with no complications, so you should make a full recovery," shared Doctor Cole. "I'd like to keep you another night for observation, but if all goes well, I have no problem releasing you tomorrow."

I relaxed instantly. "Thank goodness. I would hate to miss class."

Doctor Cole cleared his throat. "While I admire your dedication to your academics, it's important that you rest as much as possible in order to allow your body to heal."

My face fell as though he was a sales clerk telling me that he was all out of dance shoes. "Are you saying that I'll have to miss my classes?"

"Well, you should take today and the rest of the weekend to rest as much as possible," Doctor Cole advised, "but if Monday rolls around and you are no longer in any pain, I see no issue with you going back to classes."

Johnny scoffed at the piece of advice doled out. "Sorry, Doc, but you don't know my sister. Telling her to rest is like telling the sun not to shine."

I glared at Johnny for that remark, even though I knew deep down that his simile about me was accurate. In a way, I was touched that the big puffball, as busy as he was, knew me as well as he did. Sometimes, it was also scary as hell.

Doctor Cole chuckled. "If that's the case, then I'm making it your job to ensure that she takes it easy for the next few weeks."

"That won't be an easy job, Doc," said Johnny. "It'll take a lot more than a surgery to slow her stubborn self down."

"Keep that up and I will crawl out of this bed and hang you from the window by your tail," I said to Johnny threateningly.

"I rest my case," said Johnny, folding his arms in a finished sort of way.

"I'll help, amigo," Javier offered, repeatedly running a claw over my knuckle.

"The more help, the better," said Doctor Cole, looking back to me, "but we can discuss your recovery more when you're better rested. If you need anything, press the blue button on the remote control of your bed and it will alert a nurse."

"Thank you, Doctor Cole," I said gratefully.

My parents also expressed their gratitude to the doctor before he took his leave, shutting the door behind him.

Hanging my head, I sighed and said, "I don't need this setback right now. I have school work to do, lessons to choreograph and teach, Clawsmas gifts to buy now that Howlaween is done and – "

"Okay, okay, sweetie," my mother interrupted, brushing back the sweaty strands of hair that had gotten stuck to my forehead, "you heard the doctor. You need to rest."

"No, I need to work," I countered. "Life goes on even though I'm confined to a bed and I'm not going to let a little surgery cause me to fall behind."

"Sweetie, you're my daughter and I know you," my mother said to me delicately. "You have an impeccable work ethic that many monsters only dream of having. Something tells me that whatever is due next week, you already have done."

I opened my mouth to disagree when I realized that she, like always, was right. I had no midterm exams scheduled for next week and the few papers that were due had already been proofread and revised to my satisfaction. Even my choreography notes for the Latin Fusion dance classes next week were finalized and ready to go.

My mother smiled knowingly. "See, you're ahead of the game as you always are. I think you can afford to take a little breather."

I sighed in defeat. The surgery left me feeling too drained to argue with her further. "Fine."

"Start with a nap," my mother suggested helpfully. "It's the early hours of the morning. It wouldn't hurt for you to shut your eyes for a bit."

"Okay," I replied reluctantly as I gave in to my fatigue and let my eyes slowly close.

The last thing I remembered before succumbing to slumber was the feeling of a pair of lips, most likely Javier's, kissing my hand.

* * *

When I woke up hours later, around the early afternoon according to the analog clock on the wall, I found my room was empty of monsters, but full of flower arrangements and balloon bouquets either surrounding my bed or sitting on any level platform that could be considered table space. Colourful cards lined the window ledge and a few wrapped fruit baskets sat on the chair next to my bed where Javier used to sit.

I blinked repeatedly to make sure that I wasn't just seeing things. When I accepted that I was, indeed, still in my private hospital room, I turned to the vases of flowers sitting on the table next to my bed. Plucking the card from the bloom of pink roses and white lilies, I paused to read it.

 _You know I love you, sis, so you better get better quickly because I'm in the mood for some shish kafta burgers. I'll even be a good brother and fire them up on the barbecue if you make them._

 _Johnny_

"Sounds like something Johnny would write," I said out loud, chuckling to myself and placing the card onto the table.

"What sounds like something Johnny would write?" Violet asked, coming around the corner with Brynn, the latter toting a glass vase of purple bellflowers and white roses.

"Hey, ladies," I greeted the Slugma Slugma Kappa sisters with a smile.

Brynn whistled at the sight of the floral arrangements around the room and said, "If it weren't for you in that bed, I would have thought that we accidentally walked into the hospital gift shop."

I laughed. "I guess they've been coming in while I was asleep. Reading Johnny's card gave me a laugh."

"Well, laughter is the best medicine," Brynn reminded me. "Goblin knows you could use a hell of a lot of it to get better."

"How did you two know I was here?" I asked curiously.

"This morning was the weekly Greek Council meeting," Violet explained. "Carla had seen you pass out at the party and asked Johnny if you were okay. Johnny told Carla what happened and then she told us when she got back to the house."

"This is from our entire sorority by the way," Brynn spoke up, sliding the vase that she was holding onto the table next to Johnny's bouquet.

"Awww, thank you so much," I said, flattered by the gesture.

Reading a tag on the bouquet of orange milar balloons nearby, Violet said, "This one's from Sanderson on behalf of Jaws Theta Chi.".

My eyes widened at that. "Does every group on Frat Row know what happened?"

"You know how fast word gets around campus, honey," said Brynn. "Everyone has heard about what a great teacher you are and how sweet you can be when you're not provoked."

"So when monsters from the Greek community heard about your health scare, they were shocked and wanted to make sure that you knew you were in their thoughts," Violet continued. "Carrie said her sorority sisters plan on sending over some homemade cookies with Johnny when he comes to visit you next."

"But I wouldn't eat them if I were you," Brynn warned me. "The Python Nu Kappas aren't the greatest in the kitchen and the last thing you need is a longer stay in the hospital because their cooking destroyed your intestines."

I laughed again, eyeing the lone gold balloon in the center of Jaws Theta Chi's bouquet that read 'Get Well Soon' on it in bold black letters. "I'm beyond touched by all this generosity. I just hope my students won't be too bummed if I have to cancel next week's classes."

"Do it if you have to," Violet insisted. "Your health is your number one priority."

A knock at the door sounded, followed by a voice asking, "Am I interrupting?"

"Is that you, Don?" I called out, unable to see the door since the room was designed in such a way that a wall jutting out obscured it from my view. "Come on in!"

Sure enough, Don appeared from around the corner and smiled at me. "How are you feeling, Danica?"

"Tired and a little sore, but otherwise okay," I answered, pleased to see him.

"I couldn't help but overhear Johnny talking to Carla at the Greek Council meeting," said Don, "and I wanted to stop by to see how you were doing."

"I appreciate the visit, Don," I said genuinely. "It means a lot."

Pulling a small piece of rectangular cardstock out of the pocket of his polo shirt, Don handed it to me and said, "This is for you."

Accepting the card from him, I read it and found it to be one of his business cards, complete with his full name, former job role, address, and phone number. I was puzzled as to why he wanted to give me this information. The last time a monster gave me a business card was when he asked me out at a coffee shop the year before and I knew that Don didn't have the same intentions by giving me his own.

At least, I hope he didn't.

"Flip it over," Don instructed encouragingly.

Turning the card over, I saw that a message had been scribbled across what used to be the blank side.

 _Best wishes, Danica, for a speedy recovery on behalf of ALL of your friends in Oozma Kappa!_

I looked back up and was about to ask why the word 'all' was capitalized when I learned of the answer in the form of Terri and Terry Perry standing at the foot of my bed, holding an overflowing gift basket that was wrapped in transparent paper and topped with a glittery green bow. Both twins wore smiles, but one was noticeably smaller than the other.

So many questions were running through my mind at that moment. Why were the twins, particularly Terry, standing so calmly in my hospital room? Did Don force Terry to play happy and come along for the visit? Was Terry sincerely happy to see me? Was he feeling guilty? Was he here under the guise of checking on me after what happened, but really wanted to take the opportunity to berate me more now that I was stuck in a bed?

Don must have sensed the awkwardness that fell upon the silent room because he abruptly said to Violet and Brynn, "Well, I don't know about you, ladies, but I can sure use a cup of coffee and a snack. How about we check out the hospital cafeteria?"

"Sounds good to me," Violet agreed.

Brynn nodded and turned to me. "Want us to bring you back anything?"

"No thank you," I managed to splutter, still trying to register the sudden presence of the Perry twins.

Don kindly ushered Violet and Brynn out of the room before following them. The door closed behind them, ensuring us privacy for what I hoped wouldn't be a heated conversation.

Terri and Terry exchanged looks with each other, probably debating over which one of them would speak first. The silence that fell over the room only made me more uncomfortable, so I decided to make the decision for them.

"I'm really happy to see you," I finally said, meaning every word. "Both of you."

"We're really happy to see you too," said Terri, jerking his head around to look at me, "especially after hearing that you would be okay."

"I will be," I declared confidently.

"This is from all of us," said Terri, patting the basket that he and Terry held. "Ms. Squibbles baked you some of her famous chocolate brownies, Don added some fruit, there's a plushie in there from Squishy, a dream journal from Art, I made you a card, and Terry gave you tea."

"Ooh, what kind?" I asked the taller twin in an attempt to draw some words out of him.

"Jasmine green," Terry replied simply.

"Nice, it boosts energy, relieves stress, and helps to ease pain," I listed, uncertain as to whether or not his short response was a sign that he was still mad at me. "Goblin knows I can use all three right now."

Terri chuckled, but all Terry did was give me a weak smile, his lips quivering. The latter looked to be on the verge of tears and was doing his best to hold them back. It seemed that he didn't want me to see the vulnerable side to him, but I didn't want him to think that he couldn't be himself around me. Despite the rough patch that we had been going through, I wanted him to know that he could open up to me if he needed to. That was what friends are for.

In an attempt to elicit more words from Terry, I smiled and said, "Thank you for coming to see me and for the thoughtful gift. I'm very lucky to have you both in my life."

Terry finally let out a strangled sob and said, "Danica, I'm so sorry."

I smiled wider, knowing that he wasn't referring to my health scare. "I know you are."

"For everything lately," Terry continued, looking downward shamefully. "I said and did some really horrible things to you."

"That's putting it lightly," Terri muttered under his breath.

Terry shot his brother a glare before continuing, "Anyway, I shouldn't have acted the way I did and I feel awful for it."

"I won't lie, your actions hurt, Terry," I admitted, "but I know you felt hurt too, betrayed even, for what I did. I understood why you lashed out."

"But that's no excuse," said Terry. "You're more than my dance teacher, you're my friend, and I should have been happy for you from the start. I'm sorry that it took you ending up in the hospital for me to realize that."

I reached for Terry's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "Better late than never."

"That's true," Terry agreed, finally meeting my eyes with his glistening one. "I'm really sorry."

"Oh, Terry, I forgave you the moment you walked into my room," I told him with a smile.

For the first time since he arrived, Terry offered me a sincere smile. "Are you still seeing Javier?"

"I sure am," I answered, feeling much happier than I felt earlier this morning.

"And he's still good to you?" Terry asked.

I nodded.

"Then I'm with you," said Terry. "I don't like him, but I will try to tolerate him at least, for you."

"I couldn't ask for anything more," I said to him, feeling our renewed friendship warm up the room considerably.

* * *

It was around eight in the evening, long after the Oozma Kappa brothers and Slugma Slugma Kappa sisters left, when Javier returned to my room at the hospital and he didn't come emptyhanded; he had his left arms wrapped around an ornate vase of flowers while one of his right hands lugged his backpack.

"Hey, stranger," I greeted, looking up from the card that I was reading.

"Sorry I was gone most of the day," said Javier, kicking the door closed behind him, "but I had to take care of a few things."

"It's okay," I answered, gesturing to my bed. "It's not like I can really do much other than count the ceiling tiles, reread my cards, and listen to music."

Nodding at the portable radio tuned to a Latin-themed channel on my bedside table, Javier asked, "Was that a gift too?"

"Yeah, from Eta Hiss Hiss," I answered. "You know how much they love music, being an acapella group and all. They didn't want me to be bored while I was here."

"Well, these are for you too," said Javier, adding his bouquet to the many that were already sitting on the table. His arrangement was easily double the size of the others and was comprised of a mix of red roses and white jasmine in full bloom, both which symbolized love. "I didn't think you had enough."

"Neither did I," I joked and then lovingly added, "Thank you, they're lovely."

"Not as lovely as the lady they're for," said Javier with a wink.

I smiled at the compliment and asked, "How long are you staying?"

"Until you get out of here," Javier answered, dropping his backpack to the floor.

"Really?" I asked in disbelief. "You're staying overnight?"

Javier nodded with a grin. "Hospital guidelines allow one monster to stay overnight with a patient, so I volunteered. A nurse said she'll bring me something to sleep on."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "And my parents were okay with this?"

"Honestly, they think Johnny is staying with you," Javier confessed, trying to stifle a laugh, "but who am I to tell them that they're wrong?"

I laughed at that. "Good call. Dad already seems mad enough at Johnny as it is when he has no reason to be. Let's not give him an actual one."

"Sí," Javier agreed. "Besides, Johnny got tied up today with a lot of school and council stuff, but he'll be here first thing tomorrow morning."

I tilted my head slightly, gazing at him fondly. "I'm glad that he trusts you with me."

"He won't openly admit it, but he does," said Javier. "Of course, he promised to personally kill me if he shows up tomorrow and finds that you had gotten worse under my watch."

I laughed again. "Guess you better not mess up then."

"I haven't yet, have I?" Javier asked with a smirk.

I reached for one of his hands and gave it an appreciative squeeze. "Thank you, for this and for everything that you've done for me in the last twenty-four hours."

"De nada," Javier replied, squeezing my hand back.

"Seriously, I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and Johnny," I said, gazing at him adoringly. "I owe you both my life."

"You owe us nothing, amor mio," said Javier fondly. "We would do it again. I would do it again."

I beamed at his term of endearment for me before glancing up at the clock on the wall. "I guess I should move around one last time for the day."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Javier asked, sounding concerned at the idea of me leaving my bed.

"Yeah, Doctor Cole said that a few short walks per day will help prevent blood clots," I explained, trying to slide off of the bed without crunching forward so much. "I've done some today while you were gone."

"Here," said Javier, offering another hand to me.

"Thanks," I said, using two of his hands as support to climb out of the bed. "I bet this isn't how you imagined spending your Friday night."

"I'm with you," said Javier, smiling tenderly. "That's enough."

I smiled sadly at him. "So much for our dance class tonight."

"Hey, you need to take care of yourself first," Javier reminded me. "I can dance with you any other time."

"Still," I began as I began a slow pace across the room, "it's what I look forward to every Friday night."

Javier paused before he asked, "Are you in any pain right now?"

"Not really, thank Goblin," I admitted. "Why?"

Javier said nothing at first; he simply reached for the radio and fiddled with the dial until he came across a station that was playing an R&B song. He then looked up and casually sauntered towards me until he was staying before me, our bodies only inches from each other.

Looking up at him inquisitively, I asked, "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Javier retorted softly, sliding one of his right arms around my back and taking my right hand into one of his left ones.

I laughed lightly. "Jav, I'm in a hospital gown, my hair's a mess, and I'm pretty sure my costume makeup running has made my face a blotchy mess."

"Still beautiful to me," said Javier, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

Smiling broadly, I gently leaned into his touch, but kept a small distance between our torsos as to not irritate my lower right abdomen where a few small incisions made during the surgery had been stitched up. Resting my left arm over his upper right and my left hand on his right shoulder, I let my eyes flutter closed and the soothing melody to fill the room as we swayed in place and enjoyed the remainder of our Friday night.


	19. Limits

Making Our Mark

Chapter 19: Limits

* * *

"Are you sure, Miss Worthington?" the nurse asked for the third time since she entered my room that Saturday.

"I'm sure," I repeated confidently as I slid on my leather jacket. "I'm so thankful for all of the flowers and balloons that I received while here, but I couldn't possibly take them all back to campus with me, let alone keep them all in my dorm. Besides, I'm sure the other patients in the hospital can use a little something to make them smile."

"That's very kind of you," said the nurse, smiling admiringly at the flowers given to me by Johnny. "I'm certain that these will brighten their day."

"But I'd like to keep this one though," I added, pointing to Javier's elaborate floral arrangement, which was still as radiant as the day he gave them to me.

"As you wish," said the nurse, giving me a knowing look. "I assume that one's from the handsome monster who has been staying by your side overnight?"

I felt my smile grow when she referred to Javier. "Yes, it is."

"He seems like a charming, young monster," the nurse remarked with a warm smile. "I can tell from the way he looks at you that he adores you very much."

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual," I told her. "I'm very blessed."

The nurse smiled again and said, "Well, Doctor Cole should be by in a moment. I'll have some hospital volunteers come by afterwards to collect the gifts that you wish to donate to the patients here."

"Thank you, Nurse Monroe," I said gratefully.

"My pleasure," the nurse replied, watching me expectantly. "Do you need anything before I leave?"

Smoothing out my signature dress, I said, "No thank you."

The nurse nodded and exited the room.

Javier, who had opened the door for her, stepped into the room after she left and whistled once his eyes landed on me. "Looking good."

"Feeling good too," I admitted, popping the collar of my leather jacket in a cocky manner. "Almost like myself again."

"I can see that," said Javier, resting his hands behind my neck and pulling me into a kiss.

"And I won't be able to unsee _that_."

Pulling back from the brief kiss, I turned to see Johnny standing behind Javier with folded arms, shaking his head in disbelief at the two of us smooching in the middle of my hospital room.

"I'm not easily scared, but that will forever scar me," Johnny told me, grimacing.

"Not like your late-night escapades have," I retorted with a tilt of my head.

Javier shot a look of confusion towards me. "You've never spent the night at our house."

"I was talking about those at the Worthington estate," I elaborated, "but nice to know that staying at the RΩR house isn't an option either if I want to get some sleep."

Javier chuckled. "That bad?"

I nodded vehemently. "I have spent many summer nights in the guest room of our house whenever Johnny brings home some floozy."

"One of those floozies happens to be a Python Nu Kappa, you know," said Johnny, giving me a look.

Resting my hands over my ears, I said, "I'd rather not know who it is, thank you."

"Hey, not my fault they follow me home," said Johnny defensively, but the arrogant smirk on his lips told me that he enjoyed them doing just that.

"The more they do, the more I want to move out," I confessed wholeheartedly.

"Speaking of moving," Javier spoke up, "is there anything else that you need us to move to the car?"

"Just the flowers you gave me," I answered, scanning my room still full of flowers, balloons, and gift baskets. Although my plan was to donate most of my gifts to the other patients in the hospital, I kept anything that was personalized, including cards and the engraved cup that came with Terry's tea. I also kept any of the gift baskets that Javier and I rummaged through during our stay. "I can carry that myself."

"Not after surgery," said Johnny firmly. "Jav and I got it."

"It's just a bouquet of flowers, not a crate of beer," I pointed out plainly. "I can carry it."

"You'll carry things again when the doctor says you can," Johnny told me in a tone that hinted to me that I should drop the matter. "Did he say you can leave yet?"

"He checked me over and says I'm good to go," I told him, relenting to avoid another dispute. "He just needs to process my discharge papers first, so I'm waiting on that…very impatiently, I might add."

Johnny chuckled. "Looking forward to getting out of here, huh?"

"You know it," I answered. "Can we grab something to eat on the way back? Hospital food wasn't kind to us."

Javier chuckled. "Sí, now I understand why mi madre complains about it."

"Yeah, thank Goblin for those gift baskets full of fruit," I said. "After living off of apples and bland soup, I could use a proper meal."

"Whatever you want," said Johnny, "but let's see what the doctor says first. You said the hospital has been giving you soup, so maybe there are some things you can't eat yet."

At the mention of the monster himself, the door opened and, sure enough, Doctor Cole joined the three of us in the room. Laying eyes on Johnny, he said, "Ah, good to see you again, Mister Worthington."

"Ditto, Doc," Johnny replied coolly.

"Am I set to go, Doctor Cole?" I asked him eagerly.

"I'm processing your discharge papers now and once I sign them, you'll be free to go," Doctor Cole explained as he seated himself in a chair. "In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to go over some instructions that I would recommend you abide by after leaving the hospital."

"Okay," I said slowly, sitting down in the chair across from him. The shadows over my shoulders told me that Javier and Johnny came over to stand by me.

"As you know, based on my final examination, you are healing well from the surgery," Doctor Cole informed me. "Since you had a laparoscopic surgery and not an open appendectomy, your recovery should be much shorter."

"How much shorter?" I asked anxiously.

"If you continue on this path," said Doctor Cole, "you should be back to your normal activities within one to three weeks."

"One to three weeks?" I questioned loudly in horror.

Doctor Cole nodded calmly, unfazed by my sudden outburst. "Some monsters bounce back quickly and some take longer to recover. For all we know, you could be back to your normal routine in a week. Everyone is different, which is why I would like to take this moment to schedule an appointment with you a week from now to check on your progress."

"So what do I do until then?" I asked, dreading what his response might be.

"I want you to take it easy whenever possible," Doctor Cole recommended. "As well as you are healing, there will still be some restrictions on what you can do."

* * *

Some restrictions, I quickly learned throughout the week, was the understatement of a century. When Doctor Cole learned that I lived in a single-occupant dorm room, he recommended that I make arrangements to stay with someone during the first week of recovery at least, so immediate help was available if needed. Before I could politely refuse, Johnny offered the use of the guest room at the RΩR house and Javier insisted that I accept. Given that I had very little energy going into the week, I reluctantly agreed.

Although I was recovering well, Doctor Cole still wanted me to take it easy outside of going to classes. Walking was encouraged to avoid blood clots from forming in my legs, so getting to and from the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities wasn't an issue. All of my classes were on the main floor, so I didn't have to climb stairs and risk popping one or some of my stitches. However, Doctor Cole didn't want me to carry anything heavier than a ten-pound grocery bag and, in the eyes of Javier, that meant my messenger bag of textbooks and school supplies. He or Johnny, depending on who was available at the time, would accompany me to and from my classes to do what they considered to be heavy lifting. While their gestures were so thoughtful, they also saddened me because I wasn't able to do those things on my own like I normally could.

Teaching my dance classes for the week was out of the question as Doctor Cole considered that strenuous activity and suggested that I wait until my stitches dissolved before doing any kind of dancing. Violet assured me that it would be fine for me to cancel my classes for that week since I had a legitimate reason for doing so, but the very idea horrified me. I ended up making a quick call to my former ballroom dance partner, with whom I still stayed in touch, and he was more than happy to drop by the university to pick up my choreography notes and substitute for me. Even though I was relieved to not have to cancel my classes, my heart ached to be back in the studio to dance.

What was even more frustrating was that none of the RΩRs allowed me to lift a claw while I stayed over at their house. Since most of my energy was used getting to and from classes, supposedly that meant all I was to do at the house was to rest. There was a minimum of one RΩR at the house at any given time to keep an eye on me and be available if I needed something like my daily chocolate claw iced cappuccino from the cafeteria or more pens from the bookstore. Javier forbid me from touching any cooking appliance, let alone stepping foot in the kitchen. Johnny, out of respect for me, didn't bring any girls over to stay the night. Even Chet, who was probably under strict orders from Johnny, was on his best behaviour and didn't make a snarky comment all week. Doing only schoolwork with minimal movement around the house, combined with being escorted everywhere outside the house, was making me feel useless and was gradually driving me crazy.

My frustration must have been written all over my face because the Oozma Kappas, noticed it when I met up with them on Thursday for our rescheduled meal together. It ended up being a dinner instead of a lunch since it fit all of our schedules better now that the Perry twins were happily included in the outing.

"Everything okay, Danica?" Don asked, his fatherly concern evident in the tone of his voice.

"Are you in pain?" Squishy piped up in alarm.

"No, I'm fine," I answered honestly. "I actually haven't been in much pain since the weekend, so I'm taking that as a good sign."

"So why do you look like you want to murder your roasted chicken?" Art asked.

I sighed heavily. "I'm just tired of feeling helpless. It sucks not being able to do what I used to do like cook, dance, and teach."

Don nodded sympathetically. "I understand, but you just had surgery. You need to rest as much as you can."

"I know," I replied, "and I have been doing that, especially during the first few days back on campus when I was feeling groggy and drained, and didn't want to move much."

"And now?" Terry asked, raising his cup of tea for a sip.

"Still resting whenever I can, but I can feel my energy slowly coming back," I revealed.

"That's great to hear!" Don exclaimed cheerfully.

"At least you believe me," I snorted lightly.

"Who hasn't?" Squishy asked.

"Pretty much every RΩR in the house," I answered with a hint of bitterness in my response. "Even though I'm feeling better, they still won't let me do anything on my own."

"Like?" Terri prompted for me to continue.

"Well, the other day," I began, toying with a piece of lettuce with my fork, "I was doing some reading in the living room with Chip. I announced that I was going to get some fruit from the kitchen and asked Chip if he wanted any. He immediately jumped off of the armchair, like someone just lit his butt on fire, and insisted that he get it."

"Sounds like he was being helpful," Don commented, sounding unsure as to what the source of my irritation was.

"Too helpful," I corrected. "All of the RΩRs have been like that, even Chet. He hasn't put one of his little crab legs out of line and I seriously think Johnny is the reason behind his temporary good behaviour. As grateful as I am to Johnny for letting me stay at the house while I recover, it's also driving me nuts."

Don nodded again. "You miss the normalcy of your everyday routine, don't you?"

I heaved another sigh. "I do. I know I need to rest, but I'm feeling loads better and I slowly want to ease back into things. I don't need to be confined to a chair or to a bed when I'm not in class like I'm some sort of invalid."

"You sound like you've been in jail," Art remarked, gnawing on a carrot.

"Being in the RΩR house has felt like that lately," I admitted openly, something that I wasn't able to do with any of the RΩRs. "I feel trapped even outside of the house. Whenever I'm on my way to or from class, either Johnny or Javier is with me to carry my things. I can't even go to the library to check out a book without either of them on my tail, literally."

Squishy cast a worried glance around the room before asking me, "They're not here tonight, are they?"

I shook my head, chewing the garlicky crouton that I had popped into my mouth.

"Do they know you're here?" Terry asked, looking me in the eyes.

I shook my head again wordlessly.

"How did you manage to slip away?" Terri asked in awe.

I smirked proudly. "I may not be a Scaring major, but the skills themselves are in my blood."

Art chuckled in amusement. "Nice."

"Besides, what I do is none of their business," I told the group. "I didn't want to tell them and risk one of them stopping me. Not like they can really. The doctor told me to avoid any strenuous activities and I don't think going out to dinner with friends classifies as one."

"There's nothing more relaxing than a nice dinner out with friends," said Don, raising his glass of water in a toast.

"I second that," said Terri, holding out his can of Blort.

There was a soft clink as Terry, Squishy, Art, and I tapped our respective drinks against Don's glass and Terri's can.

"So," said Terry, lowering his cup back to the table rather gracefully, "we missed you during dance class this week, Danica."

"Dmitry's being good to you guys, right?" I asked, picking up my fork again.

"Oh, yeah," Terri assured me. "He's not you, but he knows what he's doing."

"Glad to hear that," I said. "I competed with him as his dance partner for so many years, so I know he's good and he knows what I expect."

"I'm sure it was all in that booklet that you gave him," said Terry jokingly, alluding to my thorough attention to detail.

"I think he was impressed by your lesson plan," Terri mentioned. "He had no trouble following it. Everything he did seemed exactly how you would do it."

"Nice to know that the time, money, and effort going into this degree won't be wasted," I quipped with a laugh.

"Will you be back to teaching next week?" Terri asked before biting into a fry.

"If all goes well at my checkup on Monday afternoon, then yes," I answered.

"Well, don't feel like there's an urgent need for you to return," said Don gently. "The important thing is your health."

"I know and I promise that I won't do anything too active without the doctor giving me the green light," I replied. "Dmitry said he's willing to step in for me for as long as it takes for me to heal properly."

"Think you'll be able to come out to the bonfire next week?" Squishy asked.

"Yeah, it's going to be loads of fun," Art chimed in. "There's good food, great music, and lots of games. It's basically a big party under the stars."

"Sounds fun," I remarked, my thoughts flashing back to a banner promoting the event that I had seen hanging in one of the hallways of the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities. "I'd love to come. When is it again?"

"Next Friday at eight in the Upper Quad, just past the School of Science," Terri revealed.

"That's when my advanced dance class ends," I informed them, "so if I'm back to teaching by then, I'll be a little late."

"Join us when you can," Art chirped. "I make some mean s'mores."

"Not scary mean," said Squishy quickly. "He just makes them real good."

For the first time that week, I laughed mirthlessly.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Javier questioned, practically throwing himself towards me the moment I stepped foot into the RΩR house that evening.

"Nice to see you too," I said sarcastically as I closed the door behind me.

"Where have you been?" Javier repeated with the same amount of indignation.

"Out to dinner with the Oozmas," I answered, confused as to why he was angry. "What's gotten into you?"

Javier slapped his face with a hand and mumbled, "All this time?"

"Well, I didn't go skydiving or surfing if that's what you were thinking," I said almost accusingly.

Javier groaned and said, "I wasn't thinking good things, I'll tell you that."

Noticing how eerily quiet the house was, I asked, "Where is everybody?"

"Out looking for you," Javier muttered loudly enough for me to hear.

"What?" I said, surprised by his answer. "Why?"

"Well, when you didn't come out after your Intro to Literary Studies class, I thought it had finished early and you were already back at the house," Javier explained. "When I found out I was wrong, I thought something bad happened, so I had the guys split up to find you. I stayed behind just in case you came back to the house."

"Jav, I'm fine," I insisted, doing a quick twirl on the spot. "See?"

Hanging his head dejectedly, Javier said, "You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"Yeah, and eating dinner across the street from campus is taxing," I said with more sarcasm. "It's not I was eating alone. Should something have happened, I'm sure one of the Oozmas would have been able to help."

Javier scoffed. "The day I trust the Oozmas to look after you is the day they win the Scare Games."

I rolled my eyes and said, "I thought you had nothing against them, even after Terry apologized to me."

"I don't," Javier insisted, "but they weren't at the hospital. They didn't hear what the doctor wanted you to do and not do, so I doubt they could be of any help."

"Well, it's not their job to tell me what to do and not do," I reminded him pointedly, "and it's certainly not yours either."

"Can you blame me for wanting to look out for you?" Javier questioned, his voice at a higher octave than usual.

"Of course not," I told him, "but I don't need you hovering over me everywhere I go."

"You're still recovering," Javier reminded me. "Goblin help us if you pop a stitch or something, then at least one of us is around to help."

"Going to the kitchen for a glass of water or working on a film project won't reopen my wound," I explained plainly.

"You can never be too careful," Javier assured me.

"Really, because you sure are doing a hell of good job at it," I said rather bitterly.

Javier narrowed his eyes at me. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're always wanting to do everything for me," I clarified, "and, quite frankly, it's annoying."

"If being annoying means caring, then I'm proud to do it," said Javier boldly.

"There's a fine line between caring for me and following me around like my personal security guard," I told him, feeling myself get irritated with every word that flew out of my mouth.

"I do what I do because I care about you, Danica, and I know how stubborn you can be," said Javier. "You're so independent, you won't ask for help."

"When I need help, I will ask for it," I promised vehemently. "No one knows my body better than me and I'm tired of you thinking otherwise."

"What is it that you want from me then?" Javier yelled, his voice nearly a roar.

Without a moment of hesitation or reflection, I shouted, "What I want is space!"

"Space?" Javier repeated in a roar.

"Yes, space!" I exclaimed passionately. "Goblin, I want space to breathe and to do my own thing without someone having a coronary if I so much as sneeze."

Javier furrowed his eyebrows. "Is that what you really want?"

Without really pondering over the question, I bellowed, "Yes!"

Javier froze for a moment, then, without his angry expression faltering, said in a low voice, "Then so be it."

I watched in silence and sourness as Javier ascended the staircase and disappeared down the hallway. It wasn't until I heard the sound of his door closing when I exhaled roughly and turned on my heels, heading straight for the guest room just off of the kitchen. The desire to put as much room between Javier and me was burning deep within me; however, since night had already fallen over Monstropolis, I figured that a floor and a door separating us would have to do for the time being.

I entered the room that I temporarily called my own and slammed the door behind me, not caring if my actions alerted the entire campus of the caliber of my anger. The room, like most of the house, was full of mahogany furniture: a four-poster bed, two nightstands, a dresser, a desk, and a chair. There was also a bedside lamp, a closet, a private bathroom, and a window overlooking the river that cut through the campus. The only personal touches to the room were my school books, handwritten notes, and gifts given to me while at the hospital.

Collapsing onto the velvety-red bedspread of the massive bed, I scowled at the panel above and reflected on the events that had just transpired. I know that I had my heart set on talking to Javier and Johnny about easing up a bit on their surveillance of me, but this was not exactly how I envisioned the conversation unfolding, with Javier and I on opposite sides of the RΩR house. Ugh, if only they didn't fuss over me so much and make me feel so powerless to do anything…

Turning towards the window, I frowned at the shadow atop the desk because I remembered clearing it earlier that morning before I left the house. I flicked on the bedside lamp, casting a dark glow throughout the room and revealing the shadow to be a stack of books that were unfamiliar to me. I slipped out of the bed and walked over to peruse through the books when I noticed a small note attached to a red rose perched on top of the pile.

 _Amor mio, I came across these and thought they might come in handy for that literature essay of yours._

 _Javier_

Placing the rose and card onto the desk, I studied each book carefully, their barcode labels telling me that they had all been checked out from the campus library. Just from skimming through each of them, I came across some information that would definitely help me elaborate on some of the points throughout my literature essay.

When my eyes shifted from the book in my hands back to the rose and card, the events from earlier came flooding in again, followed by a moment of realization and then an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

I yelled at Javier.

I yelled at my boyfriend who put his entire life on hold for me.

I was frustrated by the lack of independence that my surgery brought on, desperate for the normalcy that my life suddenly lacked, and annoyed by the RΩRs fretting over me like some fragile porcelain doll, and I took all of these negative emotions out on a monster who wasn't trying to make me feel inadequate by his actions, but was trying to make things easier for me because, despite his reputation of being a RΩR, he cared.

And now I felt like an ungrateful bitch.


	20. Talks

Making Our Mark

Chapter 20: Talks

* * *

The following week, Monday afternoon to be specific, brought my return to the hospital for a post-surgery checkup. My mother, despite my numerous protests, insisted on accompanying me to my scheduled appointment. She picked me up just outside the main entrance of campus and drove us to Monstropolis General Hospital. Johnny did not tag along because he was getting together with some classmates for a group project for one of their classes and Javier, well, I was avoiding him as I was unsure where we stood after our fight and I did not want to subject myself to more unnecessary stress by arguing with him again.

During his thorough examination, Doctor Cole revealed that I was healing well and that my stitches had fully dissolved. Although he gave me the green light to resume my normal routine, including teaching and dancing, he advised me to take it easy if any vigorous activity left me feeling sore in any way. Such good news, according to my mother, merited a meal out and I agreed wholeheartedly with her idea, so we decided to grab a bite to eat at a deli near Monsters University before we parted ways.

"Cheers to a successful recovery," my mother proclaimed, clinking her glass of sparkling cider against my glass of slimonade.

"I'll happily drink to that," I said before we sipped our respective beverages.

Lowering her glass back to the table, my mother said, "I'm so glad you're feeling better, sweetie."

"So am I, Mom," I replied with a sigh of relief. "I can't wait to get back to dancing."

"Speaking of which," my mother began, "are you and Dmitry planning to perform during our family's annual Clawsmas charity gala this year? After your unexpected health scare, I wasn't sure if you would be up to it."

"I'm all for it if he is," I answered. "I mean, we've done it for every Clawsmas gala since we first started dancing together. I'll give him a call once I get back to campus. I have to thank him anyway for substituting for me in my dance classes."

"Sounds good," said my mother. "I know university life must be keeping you busy, but I would appreciate your help with the logistics of the gala. I have the venue booked, but other details like the menu and the decorations need to be finalized and I know that I can always count on you."

"Whatever you need help with, Mom, I'm here for you," I promised her. Sure, it may seem like I was biting off more than I could chew, given my already packed schedule, but the gala would be a shared responsibility and not one that fell solely on my shoulders.

"And speaking of the gala, you're more than welcome to bring that dashing new boyfriend of yours, Javier, as your plus one," my mother continued, her eyes lighting up like Johnny's did when he met Earl 'the Terror' Thompson at a previous gala. "I'm sure Johnny would appreciate having a friendly face there."

I cracked a half smile at the mention of Javier's name, not wishing to divulge the incident with Javier to her. She already had a lot on her plate in terms of her responsibilities to her students and to the gala; she did not need to be burdened with my relationship drama.

Unfortunately, my feeble attempt at pretending that everything was normal did not go unnoticed by my very observant mother.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" she asked, concern evident in her question.

I nodded quickly, hoping my mother would sense my discomfort and just change the topic of conversation. "Yeah, Mom, I'm fine."

My mother paused before asking, "Is there something going on that I should know about?"

I sighed in defeat and met my mother's inquisitive gaze. "That obvious, huh?"

"Sweetie, whatever it is you're going through, chances are I've been through it before," my mother explained, smiling kindly. "I'm here if you'd like to talk about it."

I paused to consider her offer and then began, "There has been some tension at the RΩR house lately."

My mother raised her perfectly-plucked eyebrows, apparently astonished by the news that I had just dropped. "Is that so?"

I nodded again. "It's been hard living there."

"Why?" my mother asked and then followed up with, "Johnny is helping you, isn't he?"

"That's putting it lightly," I muttered and then spoke louder. "Since the surgery, none of the RΩRs let me do anything by myself, nothing. Not even simple stuff. Like, one day, I left my room and went to the kitchen for a bag of chips. I barely put one toe in the living room when Bruiser came out of nowhere and insisted that he get it for me."

"That's nice of him," my mother praised, her teacher personality shining through.

"He ate half of it before he gave it to me," I added, slumping against the back of my seat.

"Well, at least he tried to make things easier for you," my mother pointed out. "It's the thought that counts."

"But I didn't need it!" I cried, startling an older couple sitting nearby. "Goblin, Mom, you know that I'm capable of doing things on my own. Not being able to do a lot of it over the past week has really been messing with me. Before today, I didn't feel like myself anymore."

"Sweetie, I know you were recovering well from surgery, but you were not one hundred percent yet," my mother reminded me. "You can't blame your brother's frat for looking out for you. It has been a great comfort to your father and I that you have them around. Things would be much more challenging if you didn't have such support in place, especially with you being away from home."

"I'm not saying that I don't appreciate their support, I do," I told her, "but they don't know my body. I know what I can and can't do. I know I couldn't dance and Goblin knows to what extent I can now after resting for a week, but I could walk to and from class by myself. I could go out to eat with friends. Heck, I went to the computer lab with classmates to edit a video project for our class. None of that was taking a toll on my body and I'm tired of everyone thinking differently."

My mother nodded, silently taking in all that I was venting to her. "Have you shared these concerns?"

"I did with Javier," I answered, running a claw along the rim of my glass, "but we ended up getting into a huge fight over it."

"Did you really?" my mother said in surprise.

"Yeah," I admitted sheepishly. "Basically, he went on and on about doing what he does because he cares and I simply told him that he was my boyfriend, not my personal security, and I may have shouted at him to give me some space."

"And did he?" my mother asked.

I nodded, glancing down at my unused napkin rather mournfully. "We haven't spoken since."

Resting a hand gently over mine on the table, my mother said, "Sweetie, I know that you're fiercely independent and that's an amazing quality to have, but I don't want you to think that having someone to lean on makes you weak. It doesn't."

I looked up from our joined hands to meet my mother's warm eyes. "It doesn't?"

My mother shook her head. "We're monsters, not superheroes. We all need a helping hand now and then."

I let out a small laugh. "I'm better at offering help than asking for it."

"I know," said my mother, smiling warmly. "Your heart is the biggest thing about you. In fact, it's one of the reasons why Javier likes you so much."

My eyes perked up at that. "Really?"

My mother smiled softly. "He and I talked a lot while we were waiting for you to wake up from your surgery because, well, I was curious as to why he was holding your hand when your father and I first entered the room."

I blushed at that. "I've been meaning to tell you about us, Mom, but I haven't found the time to pick up the phone."

"I know, sweetie," my mother assured me. "He said that it was new, that you two had only been seeing each other for a little under a month. After speaking with him, I can see what drew you to him."

I smiled in amusement. "I actually didn't like him when we first met."

My mother laughed. "Yes, he told me that too, but I'm glad that you eventually warmed up to him. He seems like a fine, young monster who cares about you so much and thinks you hung the moon. Even your father can see that."

"Dad?" I scoffed in disbelief. "He actually cool with a monster I'm going out with?"

"Well, he didn't actually use the word 'cool'," my mother replied with a silly grin on her well-painted lips. "He simply 'mentioned' to Javier that he has no problem going back to jail."

I gaped at her use of air quotes. "Dad was never in jail before."

"No, but he's not going to tell Javier that," said my mother with a laugh.

"Oh, my," I mumbled, laughing along with her.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Javier's membership as a RΩR and the fact that he comes from a good family makes him a good candidate in your father's books," my mother explained, "but, of course, nobody is good enough for his little girl."

I smiled. "I'm not so little anymore."

"Nope, you've blossomed into a lovely young woman who I'm proud to call my daughter," said my mother with a sense of pride, "and who Javier is proud to call his girlfriend. That monster is clearly devoted to you. Sure, maybe he went a little overboard with looking out for you, but at least you know he cares. Let him know how you feel."

I sighed. "That's going to be hard. After what happened, I don't know if he can stand the sight of me."

My mother smiled sympathetically. "Remember, communication is the key to any solid relationship. Javier can't read your mind and you can't read his. Talk things out. If you like something that he does, tell him. If you don't like something that he does, tell him. Be open and honest with each other, and your relationship will be stronger for it."

I squeezed my mother's hand in gratitude. "I appreciate the talk and the advice, Mom."

"It's what I'm here for, sweetie," said my mother and then thoughtfully changed the subject to something that I was glad to talk about: how my classes were going.

* * *

Opening the door to the RΩR house with ease later in the evening told me that someone was home, but no one came out at the sound of my arrival. I was relieved at that, mainly because I still did not want to speak to Javier, not because I did not want to clear things up, but because I still needed time to figure out the right words to say. Plus, I wanted to get my stuff packed up, so I could take some of it back to my dorm when I swung by to grab my dance shoes and then just return to the RΩR house after my Latin Fusion dance class to move the rest.

Upon entering the guest room of the house, I made a beeline for the desk atop which all of my school stuff and the library books that Javier borrowed for me sat. While sliding my binders and books into a cardboard box sitting on my chair, I reached for the phone on the desk and dialled a number that had become all too familiar to me over the years. After a few rings, my call was picked up.

" _Hello?"_

"Dmitry, it's me," I spoke up with a smile. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

" _Not at all, Krasavitsa, how are you?"_

"Great," I replied, smiling at his use of the Russian word for beautiful lady. "I got the all clear today."

" _That's great news! I'm guessing you don't need me anymore?"_

I laughed at the hint of teasing in his voice. "I can take over my classes from here, but I appreciate you substituting for a week."

" _Anything for you, Krasavitsa. It was a lot of fun."_

"Anything, eh?" I murmured playfully, sandwiching the phone within the crook of my neck, so I could use both hands to continue packing. "In that case, I was wondering if you would be interested in performing with me during my family's annual Clawsmas gala this year? My mom brought it up and I told her that I would ask you."

" _Dancing with you every year is a delight, Krasavitsa. I would love to. When and where will the gala be this year?"_

Recalling what my mother and I discussed over dinner, I answered, "Saturday, the twenty-first of December. Doors open at six in the evening and dinner starts at seven."

" _I will let my parents know and we'll reach out to your parents for tickets. As for dance rehearsals, my schedule is probably more flexible than yours, so I'll work around yours."_

I paused to consider my overly-packed schedule of classes, dance lessons, study sessions, and now gala prep to see how I could squeeze dance rehearsals into it and if anything could be rearranged. "Well, I don't teach Tuesday and Thursday nights. Any time after six works with me."

" _Same with me. Any chance you can book a studio in the campus fitness center? I really love the space there."_

"I'm heading over there soon to teach," I mentioned, slipping my last library book into the box. "I can look into it and see if any of them would be free on Tuesday and Thursday nights."

" _Sounds good. Keep me posted."_

"Will do, D," I promised. "Anyway, I'm off to teach in a bit, but I'll talk to you soon."

" _Looking forward to it, Krasavitsa. Bye."_

After hanging up the phone, I continued to go about packing my things, humming the tune that would be played during the upcoming dance lesson. I was looking forward to strapping on my heels and returning to the studio, a place that always brings me comfort and happiness. Goblin knows I could use it after the crazy week that I just had.

My books were packed neatly in one box and my get well soon gifts and clothes were neatly organized in another on the bed by the time Johnny decided to make his presence in the house known by stopping by the guest room.

"Hey, sis," he greeted. "When did you get in?"

"Just now," I answered, looking up to see him leaning casually against the doorframe. "I just finished packing up my things. I'll take some back to my dorm now since I have to grab my dance shoes, but I'll be back to grab the rest after my dance class ends."

"Yeah, Mom called earlier and told me you were cleared by the doctor," said Johnny, crossing his arms over the bold letters of his cashmere sweater. "You could have told me that yourself, you know."

"True, but considering how you've been acting around me since my surgery, I figured you were more likely to believe the clean bill of health if it came out of a mouth other than my own," I explained, giving him a pointed look.

Johnny paused and then nodded understandingly. "Well, you actually did a pretty decent job of kicking back whenever you could and whenever we told you to. Not once did I have to chain you to a chair and, believe me, I was prepared to do it."

"Gee, thanks a lot, bro," I said sarcastically.

Johnny chuckled and said, "All jokes aside, I'm glad you're officially back on your feet."

"Same," I agreed. "I'll be sure to drop by sometime this week to cook again. A thank you for everyone's help."

"Shish kafta burgers?" Johnny asked hopefully.

I laughed. "Only if you're still willing to barbecue them."

"Always," Johnny replied, flicking a piece of lint off of the sleeve of his sweater. "Anyway, you have time for a bite? Jav is whipping up something called seafood pamela or something for dinner."

I arched an eyebrow at the dish's name. "Seafood _paella_?"

"Yeah, whatever it's called," said Johnny with a careless shrug of his broad shoulders.

"That's probably it," I said with a grimace. "Pamela was the girl that you had over yesterday."

Johnny smirked cockily. "You heard that, huh?"

"I wouldn't know her name if you didn't scream it so loud," I pointed out and then shuddered in disgust. Even though Johnny did not have a girl stay the night while I was residing at the house, that did not mean that he abstained from any sex at all. Returning to the house at a poor time the day before taught me that. "I can't wait to return to the privacy of my own dorm."

Johnny chuckled. "So, is that a yay or nay to the dinner?"

"Thanks, but I had dinner with Mom before coming here," I answered, swiping my messenger bag off of my bed and checking my wristwatch for the time.

Johnny shrugged again. "Suit yourself, sis. More for me."

"Catch you later, bro," I said as I darted past him out the door, hoping to get out of the house before Javier, who I presumed was in the kitchen, could catch me. The aroma of marinated shrimp filled the air and my nostrils, which I took as my cue to make my exit unnoticed by the house's resident chef.

Without a single glance over my shoulder, I opened the front door and dived into the cool and crisp atmosphere that the evening brought.

* * *

"Good finger placement, guys," I praised the Perry twins once my beginner-level students started filing out of Studio D for the night. "It's really improving."

"Thanks to you, Danica," said Terri, wiping his forehead with his sweat-soaked headband. "Those exercises you told us to try are really helping."

"No kidding," said Terry, smirking at his brother. "Terri does them as we walk to and from campus and from class to class."

"Says the monster who does them in the living room while reading his novels for class," said Terri, eyeing his twin knowingly.

I laughed at that. "I admire your dedication, guys, really I do."

Swinging his and his brother's duffel bag over his shoulder, Terri said, "Can't believe that Clawsmas will be here soon."

"I know," I said, unhooking my laptop from the sound system. "I actually have to go over photos of the venue for my family's annual Clawsmas charity gala and start planning a layout, decor, and all that."

"When will you be going home for that?" Terry asked curiously.

I paused to recall my schedule for December and then answered, "My last final is on the nineteenth, so I'll be heading home for the break the next day, only one day before the gala. Why?"

"We're throwing a little party at our place to celebrate Clawsmas and the end of finals before we all head home to our families," Terry explained. "You should come."

"Sounds fun," I said eagerly. "When?"

"Same day as your last final," Terry replied. "It starts at six, right after Art's last final ends."

"I can do that," I said with a nod, making a mental note to have my Clawsmas gifts for Oozma Kappa chosen and wrapped by the date of the party. "Should I bring anything?"

Terri shook his head. "Just yourself and a party attitude. Ms. Squibbles always makes too much food."

"We all end up taking the leftovers home with us," Terry added.

A knock at the studio door diverted our attention to someone's unanticipated arrival: Javier's. His demeanor was calm, casual, and laid-back as though he was leisurely chilling outside of a building on campus, so I was pretty sure that he did not drop by to aggressively confront me about our argument from several days ago. Of course, I could have been wrong and he was doing a fantastic job at masking how he was really feeling.

"Hey," I greeted, knowing full well that the twins were not going to say anything to him.

"Don't mean to interrupt, amor," said Javier, slowly slipping into the room, "but I was hoping we could talk."

Not missing the looks of alarm on the faces of the twins, I nodded, taking Javier's term of endearment for me as another sign that he was no longer angry with me. "Of course."

Terri and Terry, bless their souls, either knew when privacy was warranted or finally snapped out of their frozen trances to realize that they were physically too close in proximity to a RΩR for their liking.

"You know," said Terry with a meaningful look at his brother, "I could use a nice cup of tea before we head back home."

"I could go for a hot chocolate myself," Terri declared loudly as though he was announcing his candidacy for President of Oozma Kappa. "Let's stop by the cafeteria."

"An excellent idea!" Terry chimed in a bit too enthusiastically.

"Thanks for the class, Danica!" said Terri, giving me a wave as he and Terri headed for the door at a quickened pace.

I smiled at them awkwardly and waved until they disappeared out the door, leaving me alone with Javier. I did not blame them for not sticking around. Even though they supported our relationship, it did not make them any more comfortable being in the presence of a RΩR, especially when they had no need to be.

When I looked back at Javier to see him still watching me in silence, the guilt that I felt the night we argued returned to flood my insides. Any words of apology that I had ready to give to him got lost in all the guilt and, apparently, so did my voice.

After an unknown amount of time (I refused to look at my watch), Javier breathed, "Amor – "

"Don't," I interrupted, my voice cracking upon its forced return. "There's no need to – "

"Sí, there is," Javier insisted as he began to slowly approach me. "I know I took things a little too far and – "

"You were only looking out for me," I pointed out. "You meant well and I shouldn't have snapped at you for that."

"Well, I should have known better," Javier admitted, stopping his approach when he was standing directly in front of me "You're one tough cookie, amor. I guess I just got too protective and forgot that."

I gazed up at him fondly. "I'll admit, I got annoyed being fussed over, but it's nice to know that there's always going to be one more monster looking out for me. Know that I'm grateful, even if I didn't exactly show it over the last week."

Javier smiled softly. "So, are we cool?"

"As ice," I answered, smiling coyly and sliding past him to go fetch my bag from its cubby, only to squeal loudly when I found myself scooped into Javier's arms.

Javier chuckled at my reaction as my arms flew around his neck to support myself.

"Jav, put me down!" I demanded with a laugh. "I have to pack up."

"Give me a kiss and I will," said Javier, smiling cheekily.

"Jav, seriously, Violet's hip-hop class starts in less than half an hour," I explained, using a more serious tone of voice. "I need to clear my stuff."

"One kiss, amor," Javier bargained, "and then I'll let you go."

"Goblin, you're annoying," I muttered with an exasperated smile.

"Just one," Javier tried again, studying my face with a grin.

Despite my smile, I sighed and pulled him in for a kiss. Even though we had not spoken for only four days, it felt like much longer since we last kissed and, if I was being honest, I missed doing that. Of course, given the huge size of his ego, I was not going to tell him that.

Breaking the kiss after a lingering moment, Javier smirked and whispered, "That's my girl."

"I gotta say, this is a nice change," I murmured, gently tracing his lips with the tip of my claw.

"What is?" Javier asked.

"This," I replied, gesturing to my curled-up body. "The spontaneity that being with you brings. The life of a porcelain doll is just not for me."

Javier chuckled. "You're no porcelain doll, amor, just a warrior Queen who needed a little downtime."

I smiled, feeling my stomach rumble as my feet found its way to the floor again. "Well, this warrior Queen is hungry. Dancing really works up an appetite, you know."

"Sí," Javier agreed. "I have some leftover seafood paella from dinner that you can have, that is, if Bruiser didn't clean the pan after I left."

I laughed. "Jav, you sure know a way to a girl's heart."

"Only to yours," said Javier with a playful wink.


	21. Shopping

Making Our Mark

Chapter 21: Shopping

* * *

"Those are some pretty amethyst earrings," I commented, alluding to the box that Brynn slid into one of her many shopping bags. "Carla will love them."

"And I'm sure the Perry twins will love that new Maulroon 5 album and basket of assorted tea," said Brynn, nodding at the bag dangling from my wrist.

"I hope so," I said with a smile as we left the store specializing on female accessories. With final exams looming, combined with everything else on my plate, I kept putting off Clawsmas gift shopping until Brynn heard of an abundance of sales at the Monsterdale Mall and suggested that we hit it up first thing on the last Saturday of November.

"I'd like to think that we're being quite productive with our shopping trip," said Brynn, consulting a sheet of paper in her hand.

I nodded in agreement, glancing down at my shopping bags of assorted sizes that contained gifts for my parents, Johnny, Brynn, Violet, all of Oozma Kappa, and most of Roar Omega Roar. "Who do you have left?"

"Just Donna and Maria," Brynn answered, looking to me. "You?"

"Just Javier," I replied and then sighed. "He's a challenge to shop for."

Brynn nodded. "Do you have any idea as to what he might like?"

"I do," I answered, "but everything he likes, he seems to already have."

"Like you?" Brynn asked with a smirk.

I laughed. "What do you get a monster who seems to have everything?"

Brynn paused to consider the question before she said, "Well, something personal is always better than something expensive, remember that."

"I know," I said, "but nothing seems good enough."

"He's crazy about you, so he'll probably like anything you give him," Brynn pointed out. "Heck, he would probably like it if you showed up on the RΩR doorstep wrapped in only shimmery paper and topped with a red bow."

"Brynn," I chided with a laugh.

"What, he would," Brynn insisted with a wicked gleam in her eyes, "and he would probably also like unwrapping it too."

I blushed red in embarrassment at what she was implying. "Brynn!"

"Hey, it's the thought that counts," said Brynn, giggling madly.

I shook my head at the inappropriate thoughts that crossed Brynn's mind when a massive store to our right caused me to stop suddenly, nearly causing a collision of shoppers behind me. I eyed the mannequin display in the window and grinned, my mind cultivating a gift idea.

"That face," Brynn remarked, pulling me closer to the window and out of the line of traffic, "you have an idea, don't you?"

Instead of verbally responding to her question, I strolled into the store without a glance over my shoulder to see if she was following me.

High quality gear for every kind of sport imaginable flashed in my direction; bright and colourful jerseys hung from silver racks scattered across the main floor of the store, vibrant baseball caps hung from hooks embedded into wooden displays, and assorted footwear that ranged from running shoes to soccer cleats lined the shelves on the walls. I had a strong feeling that any of the ladies from Slugma Slugma Kappa would die to get their hands on gear like this and not just because I could hear Brynn gushing enthusiastically about it behind me like she was a child in a candy store.

A bubbly salesmonster – a magenta cyclops with neon blue eels for hair and crab-like legs – scuttled over to me and spoke up, "Can I help you with anything, Miss?"

Not missing the way that Brynn was ogling the jogging suits nearby, I said, "Yes, I was wondering if you guys personalized sporting gear?"

"We certainly do!" the salesmonster, whose nametag read Sandra, chirped. "Tennis rackets, baseball bats, hockey sticks, you name it."

"Sounds great," I said, my eyes falling onto a display behind her, "but I was hoping to personalize something much smaller in size."

* * *

After dropping Brynn and her bags of purchases back on campus, and my purchases back at my dorm, I hightailed it to the Golden Pearl Banquet Hall in the business district of Monstropolis to meet my mother for lunch. The lunch would also double as a taste-testing session for our family's upcoming Clawsmas charity gala. With me being in school and my mom teaching, weekends were the only times that we could get together to finalize gala logistics in person.

Looking up from her clipboard and the plates of appetizers set before us on the table, my mother asked me, "So, what did you think about the appetizers, sweetie?"

"The pumpkin callaloo soup was good," I answered, jabbing my fork at the dish closest to my mother, "but this spicy peanut soup with noodles and pork tenderloin really blew me away."

"I agree with you there," said my mother with a nod. "That Scotch bonnet really added some spice to that savory nutty goodness."

"I think we should offer the spicy peanut soup as the appetizer, but also have the pumpkin callaloo soup available for guests," I proposed. "It's a nice alternative for those who don't like spicy food, have an allergy to peanuts, or are on a vegetarian diet."

My mother smiled widely. "See, this is why I love having you around when planning events. You always plan with our guests in mind."

"Just glad to lend a hand, Mom," I said before shoving another piece of pork into my mouth.

Scribbling something onto her clipboard, my mother said, "Speaking of guests, Javier's mother called earlier this week."

"Yeah?" I mumbled with interest.

"Yes, she called to purchase gala tickets for herself, her husband, and Javier," my mother explained.

I smiled at that and swallowed. "Will they be sitting with us?"

My mother nodded. "I know that Javier is your plus one, so I've seated his family with our family and Dmitry's family."

"Each table seats up to ten guests," I recalled, "so that works perfectly."

"It sure does," my mother agreed. "Like I said before, I'm sure Johnny will appreciate having a friendly face at the table with us. Dmitry is a sweetheart, but I know he makes Johnny uncomfortable at times."

"Oh, the look on Johnny's face when he learned that Dmitry and I both liked guys was priceless," I said with a laugh. "I never thought I would see the day when Johnny would curse himself for being good-looking."

"At least Dmitry has good taste in guys," my mother pointed out with an amused smile.

I grimaced at that comment. "Not going to go there, Mom."

My mother laughed heartily. "Do you happen to know if Johnny plans on bringing a date?"

I shrugged as I popped another piece of pork into my mouth, knowing full well that Johnny had trouble committing himself to a lady almost as much as he had trouble executing a random act of kindness. The monster had more flings than I did dance shoes. "I have no idea."

"Well, even if he doesn't, I'm sure we'll all have a grand old time together," said my mother optimistically. "I know Javier's mother is really looking forward to getting to know you better."

I choked in the middle of swallowing and spluttered, "I've met her before."

"As my daughter, yes, and only briefly I might add," said my mother with another laugh, "but not as Javier's girlfriend."

"What's the difference?" I asked, accepting the napkin that she passed to me.

"To her, you're no longer just the daughter of a prominent family," my mother explained. "You're now the new lady in her only son's life and the only one he's ever taken seriously."

I blinked at that eye-opening revelation. "Really?"

"According to his mom, he has had his share of flings, but he has never even brought a girl home before," said my mother, smiling warmly at me, "so the fact that he's okay with her and her husband formally meeting you at the gala, no pun intended, is a big deal."

"Great, no pressure then," I sighed.

Resting a hand gently over my shoulder, my mother told me, "They'll love you."

I snorted at her questionable ability to see into the future. "How do you know that, Mom?"

"What's not to love about you?" my mother asked, smiling admiringly at me. "You're beautiful, well-educated, talented beyond measure, and have a heart of gold."

I cracked a small smile at her praise. "Mom, you're extremely biased."

My mother shrugged nonchalantly. "I could be, but I could also be speaking the truth. Javier sees you for those same qualities, you know."

"Hopefully it's enough," I heaved, spinning some more noodles around my fork.

"Hm, you're usually pretty confident about yourself," my mother remarked, tilting her head at me in curiosity.

"I know," I said, "so I don't understand why I'm feeling so self-conscious all of a sudden."

"Because you care about Javier and really want his parents to like you," my mother explained.

As usual, my mother was right. "I really do."

A brief moment of silence followed my admission before my mother spoke up again, "You know, I was a complete wreck before your father first introduced me to his parents."

"You were?" I asked, even though I should not have sounded as surprised as I did. Given that my mother was a young woman once in her life, she had probably dealt with her share of challenges concerning her love life. If anyone was qualified on giving me advice on how to navigate my blossoming relationship with Javier, it was her.

My mother nodded. "Oh yes. Your father and I had been seeing each other for a year when his cousin got married and your father asked me to go with him to the wedding. At this point in our relationship, I had yet to meet his parents and I wanted them to like me so bad."

"Did you think they wouldn't?" I asked, noting the similarities between my current feelings and the ones that my mom had experienced in a similar situation.

"A part of me feared that," my mother admitted. "Even though I was educated and thought of myself as a decent person, I came from a middle-class family, not a wealthy one like your father had, and I was concerned that they would think that I wasn't good enough for him."

I nodded silently, finding myself relating to her story the more it progressed.

"The evening of the rehearsal dinner was when your father first introduced me to his parents," my mother continued with her story, "but not just his parents. With wedding festivities in full swing, word had gotten around to the rest of the family that your father was bringing his special someone to the wedding and they all just had to meet her then too."

"Oh, wow," I breathed.

"My mind was racing with a million thoughts – be cool, don't trip, don't throw up, don't forget names – I had never been more nervous in my life," my mother confessed. "I hoped and prayed that everything would go okay."

"And did it?" I asked, encouraging her to continue.

"Absolutely," my mother answered with a warm smile. "His mother embraced me as though I was her own daughter, his father joked that I could do much better than his average son, and the rest of the family was all very welcoming."

"That's amazing," I sighed happily.

"However, that's not the say that his parents were never worried about meeting me," my mother added. "As your father and I were retiring for the night, he mentioned to me that his parents were nervous about being introduced to me."

"Why?" I asked inquisitively.

"Well, even after a year of your father and I dating, they knew nothing about me," my mother pointed out. "They knew that your father was serious about me since he was bringing me to the wedding as his date, but they didn't know if I was just as serious about him or if I was simply with him because of his future earning potential and his incredibly large trust fund."

I nodded slowly. "I guess I can see why they would have their concerns."

"But since meeting me, all has been well," my mother assured me. "I think that when parents see that their children love each other, it settles any concerns that they may have."

"As reassuring as that sounds, Javier and I have only being seeing each other since the beginning of October, not as long as you and Dad had been seeing each other when you first met his parents," I explained. "Plus, we have yet to use that word."

My mother cocked an eyebrow at me. "Love?"

I blushed, "Well, he calls me that as a Spanish term of endearment, but other than that –"

"While that may be, I've seen the way he treats you and it seems that he's serious about you," said my mother, "and the fact that you have admitted that you want his parents to approve of his choice in companion shows that you're serious about him too."

I gave her a look that wordlessly questioned the point that she was trying to make.

My mother, being the observant teacher that she was, seemed to have interpreted my facial expression because she continued, "If I can see that, his parents will too. If they have any concerns now, and I can't blame them if they do since they don't know you too well yet, they won't after getting to know you better."

A selection of delicious entrees delivered by a few servers shifted my focus back to the task at hand.

* * *

One of the many qualities that I admired about the Monsters University campus was that it wasn't a big piece of flat land; paved roads and paths curved their way up and around beautiful domed hills of green. Some of the schools were even built atop some of these hills and it was underneath a shady tree on the hill that supported the School of Business where I parked myself the following Sunday, so I could continue studying for my final exams while simultaneously enjoying the warm weather. The first round of it kicked off tomorrow morning, including my Introduction to Literary Studies one, and I was determined to ace it.

Over the course of the day, I studied and occasionally watched campus life unfold before me. It seemed that many students, like me, were in full-on study mode. Under a similar tree across the river, a purple lizard was shuffling through flash cards as he quizzed the same round green monster that got into a heated argument with Sulley on Frat Row during Rush Week. Some of my Philosophy of Education classmates sat by the river, surrounded by books, papers, and a few boxes of what looked like Crynese takeout. Even some of the Gamma Roar Roar brothers were pouring over their notes at a wooden table near my classmates.

Javier plopping onto the ground to my left took me by surprise. "Happy studying?"

"I'll be happy when exams are over," I said, my voice laced with exhaustion.

"Care to take a break for dinner?" Javier asked, holding out a pizza box and a paper bag.

"Sure," I agreed, shutting my binder of notes and placing it atop my bag to the right of me. "What do you have?"

Flipping open the box, Javier said, "One large meat lovers pizza with a few cans of Blort."

"Nice to know that we have the same taste in pizza," I told him, pulling out a cheesy slice.

Javier watched me tear into my pizza ravenously and laughed, causing me to glare at him.

"What?" I mumbled through a mouthful of dough, cheese, sauce, and meat. "I'm hungry."

"You're lucky you're cute even when you're stuffing your face," said Javier, giving me a nudge.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "It has been a busy weekend – studying, Clawsmas gift shopping, gala planning – my mom says hi by the way."

Javier chuckled, selecting his own slice of pizza. "I think she likes me."

"She might like you more than I do," I admitted with a laugh.

"Amor!" Javier exclaimed in surprise.

"I said might," I repeated, giving him a light shove. "She always sees the good in monsters. It's hard for her to hate someone with a passion."

"Sounds like someone else I know," said Javier, winking at me.

"Oh, speaking of her," I added, fishing out a trio of laminated cardstock out of my bag. "She told me to give you your family's gala tickets."

"Gracias," said Javier, accepting the tickets from me. "Are we sitting with you?"

"Of course," I answered and then teased, "that is, unless you no longer want to go with me."

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be that night than on your arm, amor," said Javier tenderly.

I smiled back before the traffic before us caused my gaze to shift. I spotted Sulley strolling up to the table Gamma Roar Roar fraternity brothers and throwing an arm amicably around the shoulders of two of the table's occupants who looked happy to see him. "That guy is really something."

"He seems pretty chill for someone who's on the verge of failing out of his program," Javier remarked. "Hope he doesn't take it too hard when he gets kicked out of RΩR as well for his laziness."

"Don't get your hopes up because he doesn't take rejection well," I explained without thinking and then froze when I realized what I had just said.

"How do you know that?" Javier questioned, his curious gaze now on me.

I quietly berated myself for letting it slip that Sulley handled rejection almost as well as Johnny cooked. I didn't want it to lead to me having to explain to Javier that Sulley tried to steal me away from him. Javier would probably kill Sulley and Johnny, once he gets word of what happened, would probably help him hide the body. Bailing my brother and my boyfriend out of jail was not exactly how I pictured spending my hard-earned savings and my trust fund.

"Danica," Javier pressed, addressing me by my first name, which I knew by now he only did when the situation was serious.

"Look, I dealt with it, okay?" I promised, turning to meet his eyes, which had hardened. "Can we just drop it?"

Javier hissed lowly in anger, his pizza slice now forgotten on the box lid. "Did he make a move on you knowing full well that you're with me?"

 _So much for dropping it,_ I thought disappointedly.

Not bothering to wait for an answer from me, Javier followed up with, "When?"

"Dumpling night," I answered sheepishly. "After you left us alone in the kitchen."

Javier paused, possibly to reflect on the moment that I had brought up, and then calmly asked, "Were you ever going to tell me this?"

I frowned slightly. "What would I say? 'Jav, I know Sulley comes from a long line of Scarers and would be a great addition to ROR if he improves his grades, but he keeps hitting on me, so I'd rather not have him around. Can you pass the soy sauce?'"

Javier sighed. "So are you telling me you were never going to tell me this?"

"How could I?" I questioned with an air of hopelessness. "Say Sulley has the grades and the skills to stay in RΩR. Would you really revoke his membership only because he made a RΩR's girlfriend, who also happens to be the sister of RΩR's president, uncomfortable?"

"Uh, sí," Javier answered without a moment of hesitation. "Look, it's no secret to me that he's into you, I mean, who wouldn't be into you? You're the whole package."

"Johnny, the Perry twins, my gay ballroom dance partner," I listed with a smile. "Shall I go on?"

Shaking his head, Javier continued, "Anyway, as long as Sulley didn't try anything funny with you, his tail was safe. After what you told me, Johnny may not have to wait for Sulley's final exams to be over with before deciding what to do with him."

"You're serious about this," I said. It was more of a stunned statement than a question.

"Dead serious," said Javier. "If Johnny motions to kick that pendejo out of RΩR. I would second it. He would be out on the street before he could even step a toe back into our house."

"But why?" I asked, puzzled by what I was hearing. Roar Omega Roar valued Scaring and family pride over everything else. Didn't that include personal relationships?

"There are just some lines that you don't cross, amor," Javier told me, his eyes narrowing at Sulley who appeared to be joking with a Gamma Roar Roar frat brother. "For one thing, most monsters know better than to hit on a RΩR's girl."

I smirked at that. "Is that so?"

Javier nodded. "No one dares to do anything to piss us off, especially Johnny, or else hell will break loose."

I grinned at the image forming in my mind. "I'm questioning whether or not I would pay to see that."

"You might not need to," said Javier, glaring at Sulley's spotted and furry back. "He clearly can't get it through that thick skull of his that you're mine, amor. His days are numbered. Hell, they've been numbered since we learned how terrible he's been doing in his classes."

"Oh, since when do you own me, Jav?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him in amusement.

Javier turned to grin at me. "You know what I mean."

"I know," I assured him, resting my head against his shoulder. I knew that he was possessive in a protective way, not in a controlling manner. "Just teasing you, mi cielo."

Javier kissed my hair, which I took as a sign that he approved of my term of endearment for him. While the term meant 'my sweetheart' or 'my darling' in Spanish, it also directly translated to 'sky'. To me, Javier was like the sky: full of strength and was always there.

"He doesn't really bother me, you know," I confessed, referring to Sulley's actions towards me. I decided to take my mother's advice given during our deli dinner a while back and open up more to Javier regarding my feelings. "If you guys do decide to keep him in RΩR because he ends up doing okay in his finals, I can handle him."

"I know," said Javier, "but trying to steal you away from me isn't cool, not with me and it won't be cool with Johnny once he finds out. He flipped out when he found out that a RΩR, one that he trusts, was dating his sister. Can you imagine what he's going to do when he finds out that Sulley, someone he's already starting to regret inviting to join RΩR, is trying to do the same?"

"You mean Johnny doesn't know?" I asked, lifting my head up to look at him. "You know."

"I never mentioned it and I don't know if he's noticed," Javier explained, "but I'm not going to hide it. Good grades or not, he's out once Johnny finds out what he's been doing."

"You seem to have your mind made up about it, so I'll support it," I told him, lacing my claws through those on his lower right hand, "but don't do it until after exams."

"Why not?" Javier questioned, astonished that I would suggest such a thing.

"I may not like what he's been doing to me, but I'm not out to ruin his life," I explained. "If you revoke his membership before exams, it might affect his performance. Let him get through them first and then break the news to him."

"His laziness has been affecting his performance all semester," Javier reminded me with a scoff. "I doubt kicking him out of RΩR will make it worse."

"If his revoked membership affects his exam performance, I'll feel responsible for it," I told him, already starting to feel slightly ill in my core at the very thought of it. "In good conscience, I would rather go the compassionate route."

Javier sighed and gave me an exasperated smile. "Fine, I'll wait, but only because I don't want to make you mad. The minute Sulley finishes his last final, I'm telling Johnny."

Squeezing his hand affectionately, I said, "Gracias, mi cielo."

"Anything for you, amor," Javier murmured, "but I draw the line at going shopping with you."

"Darn," I replied, feigning disappointment. "Guess it's a good thing I already have everyone's Clawsmas gifts."

Javier's eyes lit up at that. "What did you get me?"

I gave him a look of bewilderment. "You already have me. Why would you need anything else?"

Javier laughed. "Fair point, amor. I have you. I think I asked for more than enough this year."

I smiled and patted our linked hands. "I did get you something though."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Javier asked, his lips now near my ear.

"Nope," I answered in a teasing manner and an emphasis on the last syllable.

"You sure about that?" Javier whispered, nibbling on my earlobe teasingly.

"Don't bother, Jav," I told him, using every ounce of my self-restraint to pull back and not give in to his suave ways of extracting information from me. "You patiently pursued me earlier in the semester, so you can patiently wait to open your Clawsmas gift."

Javier shrugged and straightened up with a grin. "Can't blame a monster for trying."

"A for effort," I told him before returning to my pizza.


	22. Finals

Making Our Mark

Chapter 22: Finals

* * *

Tuesday brought sunny weather and the first round of final exams for the semester. Mine was one of them – Introduction to Literary Studies – and I was fairly confident about it because, after periods of thorough revision, I was quite familiar with the long list of literary terms that was covered during the course. Plus, despite the numerous pages of notes that I jotted about the books that we read, I could easily predict which subjects would make good essay topics. To be safe, however, I studied everything that Professor Rocasolano mentioned would be fair game on the exam.

Even though Javier's first final wasn't until tomorrow, he surprised me outside my dorm building in the morning just as I was leaving to grab a quick bite to eat before my exam. He had my favourite breakfast wrap and chocolate claw iced cappuccino in his claws, which earned him a kiss for his thoughtfulness. As we crossed the campus, we chatted about our dance lessons and the upcoming gala, avoiding the topic of finals completely. I appreciated this a lot because any last-minute cramming would only create unnecessary stress and probably make me forget what I tried to remember.

"Here we are," Javier announced as we reached the front steps of the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities.

Before I could say something, Javier tugged on my arm, pulling the both of us behind the wall of the building, so that we were out of sight of the front door and the stairs leading up to it. I looked up to question his actions, but my eyes fluttered closed as his lips sought mine in a kiss.

Javier snaked a pair of arms around my slender waist while the other pair, specifically his hands, rested behind my head to shield it from the cool and unforgiving texture of the bricks. His chest was pressed intimately against mine as he continued kissing me ardently, as though he was trying to prove how much he desired me. Perhaps that was what he was doing. While I certainly didn't mind it, there was a time and a place for it and ten minutes before my first exam kicked off inside the building behind me did not fit the criteria for such a place.

Breaking the kiss, I pulled back slightly and whispered in a scolding tone, "You're going to make me late to my final."

Javier chuckled, his smile cheeky. "Just wanted to give you a little something for good luck."

I laughed lightly. "Four-leaf clovers work too, you know."

"I'm more unique than a silly clover, amor," Javier pointed out.

I rolled my eyes and asked, "Where are you off to after this?"

"Scaring School," Javier answered as he stepped back and stared off into the distance. "Going to watch Sullivan in his Scare final."

I frowned. Javier usually called Sulley by his nickname even though he barely tolerated him, so to now hear him call the behemoth by his full surname was a clear indication that he wanted nothing to do with him. Seeing my boyfriend furrowing his eyebrows at the majestic School of Scaring that towered above the trees across the campus, I placed a hand on his cheek, causing him to look back at me and his gaze to soften again. "Everything okay?"

Running a claw gently across my chin, Javier said, "Nothing for you to worry about, amor."

I gave him a knowing look. "You're wondering whether or not Sulley's going to fail, aren't you?"

Javier nodded, his gaze hardening again when I mentioned the blue behemoth's name. "Whether he fails or not, I want to be there to see it with my own eyes or I probably won't believe it."

Resting a hand over his on my face, I said, "If he passes, remember what you promised me."

"Si," Javier sighed, "I promise not to kill him until after finals."

"Jav!" I cried, smacking his chest in horror.

"Just kidding, amor," Javier assured me with a hearty laugh. "Just kidding."

I eyed him skeptically. "You better be."

"I am," said Javier before pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. "Bueña suerte. You show that final who's in charge."

"You know I will," I chirped. "I'll see you later. Johnny's been craving Hissaly cuisine."

Javier chuckled. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

"Well, my split pirouettes could use some work," I said jokingly before I turned on my heels and strode back to the entrance of the school with a messenger bag full of pencils and an air of fierce determination.

* * *

"Goblin, that's awful," Brynn remarked.

"Oh, I don't know about awful," I said, observing my reflection in the full-body mirror outside the fitting room of a boutique in downtown Monstropolis. "Professor Rocasolano's final followed the same format as the midterm, so I don't think it was too bad."

"Yeah, but I was talking about that pink monstrosity," said Brynn, eyeing the ballroom dance dress on my body and looking absolutely repulsed by it. It was a halter-neck number of sparkles and shocking pink that was fitted down to the knees. Pieces of ruffled pink and white taffeta flared down from my knees to my ankles.

"That bad?" I asked with a grimace.

"You look like the Python Nu Kappas threw up on you," said Brynn, looking completely sickened by the garment.

"Gee, Brynn, thanks," I replied sarcastically before walking back into my fitting room through its curtained doors.

"Hey, you asked me to come along to give my honest opinion on your gala dress," said Brynn defensively. "I'm just doing my job."

I couldn't argue with her on that. By this point in our friendship, I knew that Brynn was not a monster to sugar coat anything, so she was the best person to tag along in search of a ballroom dance dress that I could wear to my family's annual Clawsmas charity gala. Dmitry and I were rehearsing a little waltz number for the big night, so I wanted a gown that would suit the style of dance, match the theme of the number, and blow Javier's mind.

The sound of paper crinkling told me that Brynn went back to flipping through her study notes for her Scaring classes. "So how many people attend this gala of yours?"

"Well, last I checked, about a hundred monsters bought tickets in advance and reserved tables this year," I said as I slipped out of the pink gown, "but there are always monsters who buy tickets at the door the night of the event as well, so I expect a big turnout."

"A lot of the big name families usually go, right? I always see a lot of them on the society page of the Monstropolis Gazette."

"Yeah, the Gundersons are always there," I mentioned, pulling on a simple black number that I had stripped off of a rack earlier on during the visit to the boutique. "So are the Thompsons, the McCays, and the Sullivans."

"Guess it reflects poorly on them if they don't show. They don't want to look less generous than another family."

"I guess so," I snickered, "but hey, everything goes to charity, so I'm okay with them trying to outshine each other with their donations."

Brynn wolf-whistled and said, "Hey, if I wasn't going away for the holiday break, I'd pay to see Sulley in a tux."

I gagged as I stepped out of the fitting room. "And if I was willing to cough up the money, I'd pay for him not to go."

Brynn glanced up from her notes and gave me the once-over with her trio of eyes.

"What do you think?" I asked, turning to study my reflection in the mirror again. This gown – also a body-hugging garment that flowed from the waist down – was much simpler than the last one; it was comprised of elbow-length sleeves and a round neckline that was bedazzled with silver rhinestones.

"You look like you're going to a funeral," said Brynn frankly.

My shoulders sagged at this, instantaneously killing the aura of elegance that the gown brought.

"You're going to be dancing for a good cause, not crying over someone's death," Brynn reminded me, pointing a claw towards the fitting room. "Next."

I groaned and dragged myself back behind the curtains again to try on another dress.

"So Sulley's still hitting on you, huh?"

"Not really," I admitted, shimmying out of what Brynn referred to as mourning attire. "He's pretty much kept his distance since I threatened to unleash the Worthington Wrath on him."

Brynn's giggles lightened the mood immediately. "What is the Worthington Wrath?"

"Don't piss me or Johnny off and you'll never have to find out," I responded with a laugh.

"Noted, sister."

"As long as he keeps his distance or keeps things cordial, we'll be good," I declared, sliding into a fluffy white number that had been hanging on one of the several hooks within the enclosed space. "I don't need a fight or something worse making the front page of the Monstropolis Gazette and giving a bad name to a charitable cause."

"Knowing Javier, he'll make sure Sulley doesn't try anything funny. He makes it clear that the only monster who is allowed to hit on you is him."

"No kidding," I said, grinning at the memory of him and me from earlier that morning behind the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I can't imagine you would, honey."

"Okay, I can see myself freely moving in this," I announced, breezing back through the curtains to show Brynn.

Brynn gaped at me in horror rather than in delight and the sound of her papers hitting the floor was the first thing to break the silence that followed. "Oh, you can't be serious!"

I stopped twirling in front of the mirror immediately and just shot Brynn an exasperated look. "Really? I think it's very flowy and would really suit the wintery theme of –"

"You're wearing enough feathers to choke a horse," Brynn interrupted frankly.

I opened my mouth to object, but decided against it and dragged myself back into the fitting room. There was no point in starting an argument with Brynn because she would use every last breath of hers, no matter how long it took her to do so, to convince me that she was right about something. It was times like these that made me question if she should consider going to law school after she graduated and become a criminal defense attorney.

"Remember, you're officially meeting Javier's parents as his girlfriend during the gala," Brynn reminded me. "You want to be known as a great catch, not an animal murderer."

"Okay, okay, it's coming off!" I assured her, tugging the feathery ensemble off of me with great speed. Groaning again in frustration, I said, "Goblin, at this rate, by the time we decide on a dress, it will be time to graduate."

"Trust me, you'll thank me later for being this critical," Brynn promised.

"Or I might kill you," I merely chimed.

"Love you too, honey!" Brynn replied with a mirthless laugh.

I just shook my head with a laugh and draped a red number over my head. As it slid down over my body, so did a wave of warmth and another feeling that was difficult to put in words. The dress molded to my curves from my neck down to my waist. Volumes of red taffeta flowed out around my ankles. Even though my feet were firmly planted on the ground, I had the sensation that I was floating.

A yelp of pain snapped me out of my thoughts. Scurrying out of the fitting room in concern, I spotted Brynn sucking on a digit. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a paper cut," Brynn replied, her eyes flicking up to look at me. The minute they did, they widened in astonishment and her wounded finger fell out of her widened mouth.

I sighed at her reaction to me and toyed with the pieces of taffeta, "Let me guess, another atrocity?"

"Far from it," Brynn assured me breathlessly.

A glance back to the mirror left me completely stunned at my reflection. The gown that I had on was strapless and A-line. A long-sleeved see-through overlay with silver accents, crystal beading, and a high neckline, rested over the top half of the dress, going down to just underneath my breasts.

"Oh, yes, that's it!" Brynn declared as though she was picking out my wedding dress. "That's the one!"

Doing a quick spin, allowing the taffeta to fly around and tickle my ankles, I beamed and said, "I think you're right."

"Of course I am," said Brynn matter-of-factly. "You absolutely glow in that gown."

"I really like the overlay," I mentioned, fingering the embedded crystals, which reminded me of a matching headpiece sitting back at home that would match perfectly with the gown. "This is like a fusion of armour and elegance with the Clawmas spirit. I feel like a Queen again."

"Danica, if Javier doesn't faint when he sees you, you need to go find yourself another monster," Brynn told me, jumping to her feet to examine the gown up close.

I laughed. "If I ever have to do that, don't worry, I know Chip is off limits."

"What?" Brynn cried, her head popping up from my dress. Her smile faded instantly. "He's taken?"

"No, but he _is_ quite taken with this adorable little freshman in Slugma Slugma Kappa," I mentioned, winking at her, "but you didn't hear that from me."

Brynn blushed, the deepening pink contrasting the sky blue of her skin.

* * *

"Is it true?" Johnny barked at me within moments of him stepping foot into the kitchen of the RΩR house late that afternoon.

"Hello to you, too, bro," I greeted dryly, looking up from the sizzling stovetop pans that I had been closely observing.

"Sullivan hit on you?" Johnny questioned, his bushy eyebrows furrowed.

I was about to answer when I noticed that Javier was right behind him. His four eyes fell on me the moment he entered the kitchen and they looked far from friendly. I was silently hoping that I was not the source of the anger that boiled beneath his plated armour. I mean, I had no reason to be, right?

"Did he?" Johnny pressed when I did not answer right away.

Ignoring Johnny, I kept my gaze on Javier's and said, "I thought you said you were going to tell him after his finals were over."

"They _are_ over, amor," Javier informed me gruffly. "He's done for."

I cocked an eyebrow at the vagueness of Javier's explanation. "I'm confused."

Gurgling came from Bruiser who had slid into the kitchen from behind Javier and made a beeline for the refrigerator, causing my ears to perk up at the bombshell that he just dropped so casually on the way.

"What?" I exclaimed, looking back to Javier in disbelief. "Sulley got kicked out of the Scaring program?"

After shutting the refrigerator door closed, revealing a can of Blort in his hand, Bruiser nodded and waddled back into the living room without so much as an explanation about the event itself.

I wasn't sure which had me more floored; the fact that I understood Bruiser through his signature slobbering after only a few months of knowing him or the fact that Sulley got booted from the Scaring program. I expected the latter to fail an exam, sure, especially given his lack of drive and work ethic, but to be completely removed from the program? Just what did he do that merited a drastic decision to be made such as that?

"Sullivan is a disgrace," Johnny remarked with disgust. "He doesn't even deserve to carry that name after what he did."

"What happened?" I asked, not directing the question at either of the RΩRs in particular, yet expecting a story from one of them.

Rubbing his forehead with the tips of his claws, Javier said, "I don't even know where to start."

"Oh, Goblin," I mumbled, knowing that I was in for a whirlwind of a tale.

Finally able to find the words, Javier told me, "Sullivan and this little beachball got into some sort of argument, which caused them to knock over Hardscrabble's record-breaking scream canister and it exploded. Damn thing nearly hit me as it rocketed around the room."

"Wow," I breathed, "that's unfortunate for the can."

Johnny and Javier both shot me a glare for that comment, probably questioning why I seemed to lack a concern for their safety.

"Sorry, just trying to diffuse the tension," I insisted, holding up my hands defensively.

"Anyway, there's more," Javier added bitterly. "Sullivan roared before Hardscrabble could fully present him with a scenario. Of course he was wrong, so she couldn't recommend that he continue in the program."

"That makes more sense," I said with a nod. From what my father and Johnny have told me time and time again, clumsiness and impulsivity were two qualities that were frowned upon in a profession that required carefully-executed movements and the utmost attention to detail. "What happened to him afterwards?"

Javier shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. We left as soon as Hardscrabble told him how much of a disappointment he would be to his family."

"Ouch," I muttered, somewhat empathizing with Sulley's situation. He, like me, came from a good family. If the expectations that his parents have of him are as high as those that Johnny's and my parents have of us, then he was probably going to be disowned the minute he breaks the news to them. Predictions of family dishonour and disownment began to cross my mind.

Javier sighed in frustration. "So much for him being ROR material. We told him that he had to live up to his family name, but he didn't listen. Shame that we wasted all our time on a monster who wasn't serious about the profession after all."

"Even if he was serious about it, bro, he would have been out of RΩR sooner because of other things he did," Johnny spoke up, his look to me a reminder that he was still in the room, "which brings me back to my earlier question: did Sullivan hit on you?"

I sighed, knowing that there was no way I could avoid the subject any longer. "Yes."

"How many times?" Johnny questioned angrily.

I shrugged my slender shoulders. "I never bothered to count."

Johnny dragged a hand down his face. "And you never bothered to tell me why?"

"It wouldn't matter," I confessed. "Besides, it's not like I couldn't handle him."

"Like hell it wouldn't matter," Johnny huffed. "Sullivan or not, no one messes with my sister, especially when she's the girl of another RΩR."

I smirked in amusement. "This is a nice one-eighty. Two months ago, you were chewing out Jav for hitting on me and look where we are now."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Still don't know how that happened."

"Neither do I," I said, reaching for one of Javier's hands and squeezing it tenderly, "but it happened and I'm grateful."

For the first time since he first arrived in the kitchen that afternoon, Javier smiled at me.

"Well, since Sulley is no longer in the Scaring program nor in RΩR, things should be less tense around here," I said in an attempt to shed some optimism on the dour mood that lingered in the kitchen.

"That'll be great," said Johnny as he opened the refrigerator door. "In fact, I'll be happy if I never have to see him again."

"That might be easier said than done," I warned him uneasily.

"What do you mean by that?" Johnny questioned, narrowing his eyes at me suspiciously.

Thankful that I was still holding Javier's hand (his touch was very comforting), I swallowed and said, "He's going to be at our gala in a few weeks."

"He's going?" Johnny roared thunderously.

I nodded, unfazed by his abrupt reaction and a bit surprised that the windows of the house were still intact after a roar of that caliber. "You know, Johnny, if you helped Mom out with gala logistics every year like I do, you would be aware of things such as this."

"He never goes," Johnny muttered. "If he's going because you'll be there, I'll – "

"Leave him alone," I finished for him. "As you should. Glad we agree on something for a change."

"But – "

"Relax, I purposely seated his family way across the hall from ours," I assured him, grinning evilly as I pictured the seating plan that I had graciously offered to draw up for my mother as part of my duties. "They're going to be sitting with the O'Growlahans."

"Big Red's family?" Johnny snorted.

"Hey, you don't like either of the sons of those families and they both have tried to mess with me on more than one occasion," I reasoned. "I figured, why not stick the two pigs together? Given that Roy is probably still holding a grudge against Sulley for picking the RΩRs over JθX and Sulley probably regretting that decision given recent events, it should make for a very, shall we say, interesting dinner."

"You're heinous," Johnny chuckled, his gaze on me radiating with pride. "I'm proud of you."

"Yeah, well, I try my best," I said with an immodest curtsy.

"Oh, speaking of trying my best, how did your final go?" Javier asked me. "I meant to ask but, after all the craziness from earlier, I forgot. I'm pretty sure it went better than Sullivan's."

I shrugged. "Well, it felt like I knew most, if not all of the vocabulary. Plus, I believe that I knew what I was talking about in my essay, but who really knows until Professor Rocasolano posts the marks?"

"You studied like crazy," said Javier, giving my hand a soft squeeze, "so I'm sure you did great."

The sound of the front door opening and closing caused the three of us in the kitchen to shift our attention to the doorway leading into the living room and, sure enough, Chip strolled in.

"Sup RΩRs?" the sophomore greeted, grasping Johnny's free hand and pulling him into a brotherly hug.

"What am I, yesterday's meatloaf?" I joked, making my presence known to him.

Chip laughed as he broke free from Johnny and said to me, "Hey, Danica. You definitely aren't yesterday's meatloaf." He took a whiff of the savory aroma that floated around the kitchen and added, "Neither is whatever is in those pans."

"Sí, amor, that actually smells awesome," Javier commented, watching me turn back to the stove. "What is it?"

"Thanks, it's chicken involtini," I explained, turning over the stuffed meat with a pair of tongs to ensure that all sides were evenly seared. "I couldn't find any string around the house, so I skewered it with some of the rosemary that I bought."

"Smart," Javier praised, resting a hand over my shoulder.

"I can't wait for dinner," said Chip eagerly. "When will it be ready?"

"Soon," I promised. "All that's left to do is to prepare the mixed greens." Turning to Johnny, I asked, "Can you make yourself useful and toss the ingredients for the salad? They're on the island."

"At who?" Johnny asked, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

I rolled my eyes and said, "I will toss it at _you_ if I have to mix it all myself."

Johnny growled, but walked over to the island anyway to fulfill his given task. He knew better than to anger me while I was preparing food for him. The last time he got on my nerves when I was cooking, finely chopped pieces that made up a whole Scotch bonnet 'accidentally' found their way into his meal. He ended up draining the entire refrigerator of milk just to soothe his fiery taste buds.

"Thank you, Johnny," I sang as innocently as I could.

"You know, you're really annoying sometimes, sis," Johnny grumbled.

"No, I'm heinous, remember?" I shot back at him, earning chuckles from the other two RΩRs in the room.

"And brilliant and beautiful," Javier murmured in my ear, "and mine."

"Of course, how silly of me to forget all of that," I whispered back sarcastically, gazing at him playfully over my shoulder.


End file.
